David O. Russell’s abandoned film gets a trailer and a release date

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Every now and again you hear about some footage or even an entire film, that for whatever reason, will never see the light of day. Back before David O. Russell hit it big with the one-two punch that was THE FIGHTER and SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, he was that guy who argued with the cast of I HEART HUCKABEES. Y'all remember that video? After that flick he went to work on NAILED. The story followed a small town waitress (Jessica Biel) who gets a nail accidentally lodged in her head causing unpredictable behavior. A lack of health insurance resulting in the nail staying put leads her to Washington DC, where she then meets a clueless young senator (Jake Gyllenhaal) who takes up her cause. Long story short, James Caan left production in 2008 due to arguments with the director, and eventually the whole thing went kaput when the financiers couldn't guarantee funds for the cast and crew. Apparently that's a big no-no with the Screen Actors Guild. Russell walked away and that . . . seemed that. Evidently not, as a new title and trailer have hit.

You'll note that David O. Russell's name is nowhere to be found. The trailer itself paints a pretty rom-com picture, although I'm curious to know what re-shoots were done to get the picture finished.  Perhaps they found an editorial route around the unfinished scenes?  Regardless, I imagine the film will come and go with little fanfare, as the story behind it looks more interesting than the one within. For those who enjoy to watch a train wreck, you'll only have a month before this one's release!

ACCIDENTAL LOVE will see a VOD release on February 10 with a limited theatrical release on February 20.