UPDATE: The Wrap reached out to filmmaker Uwe Boll, who has responded to Puck's original claims about Armie Hammer's response to watching Citizen Vigilante for the first time:
"Armie was perfect for the part and I loved working with him. He was prepared and delivered every day on set. We both had a great time working together even if the subject matter of the film is very serious and real."
"It was clear that the film will split the audience but I never cared about reviewers – I care about the audience. 94% on Rotten Tomatoes or 4.5 on Amazon shows that the audience loves the film. 50% of the audience doesn’t feel connected anymore with the crap the studios are spitting out – they needed and wanted a blunt and hard film about reality."
Citizen Vigilante follows an American businessman, played by The Lone Ranger star Armie Hammer, going on a Death Wish-style rampage that sees him primarily target immigrants. Right-wing figures on social media like Elon Musk have rallied around the Uwe Boll-helmed movie, which has a 6% rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes (and a 93% Audience Score).
Many have condemned Citizen Vigilante's anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim message, with the backlash overshadowing Hammer's attempted comeback and delivering yet another blow to his already tarnished reputation.
Now, though, it's being reported that he was deeply unhappy with the cut of the movie he saw. According to Puck (via ActioNewz.com), a source told them, "The first time he saw it, he was in tears. And not tears of joy. He called me and said, 'F***. This is hateful, disgusting."
The insider added that, while the actor knew Citizen Vigilante "certainly leaned toward the right," Hammer was shocked when the final cut was so extreme in its messaging. "Uwe works in a very frantic way. It’s not like he sent him a hundred-page script. When he saw the final product, he was, 'That was not the movie I thought we made,' and he freaked the f*** out."
This may sound like damage control on Hammer's part, but he did say that he was only sent a 50-page script by Boll. In fact, he was so desperate for work, "I would have done a f***ing cat food commercial."
Before returning to acting—Hammer's career was derailed after multiple women accused him of emotional and physical abuse and cannibalistic fantasies—the actor was selling timeshares in the Caymans and working as a sober companion. He was paid a reported $250,000 for his work in Citizen Vigilante.
Boll is moving forward with a sequel, but would Hammer return? Well, he's struggling to land roles in anything other than low-budget indie fare, making a mainstream return particularly challenging. A source tells the outlet, "It would have to be life-changing money [for a sequel]. Everyone has a breaking point."
For what it's worth, Hammer did previously praise Citizen Vigilante's script while promoting the movie ahead of its release. "I got an email from Uwe and he said, 'Hey, I have this movie; I want you to do it.' And I just started crying because I was so happy that someone was giving me the chance to do the thing in my life that I'm the most passionate about outside of my kids."
"And I read the script. I didn't even have to. I had already typed, 'Yes, I'll do it.' But then I read the script, and I was like, 'Whoa, this is intense.'"
In Citizen Vigilante, a man takes justice into his own hands, hunting down criminals. His vigilante crusade turns him into a social media sensation while putting him at odds with law enforcement and drawing the attention of dangerous enemies.
Let us know your thoughts on Hammer's alleged reaction to the movie in the comments section below.