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Despite his filmmaking reputation, Allen told Empire that he couldn't afford to pay Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman's huge salaries.
"There are plenty of actors and actresses that have said - even after saying 'I'm dying to work with you so I'd do anything' - that they're not available or they can't work for the pay I'm offering because they have a chance to make a movie for $8 million (£4m) or $10 million (£5m) and they need the money."
He added: "For Deconstructing Harry I tried to get De Niro, I tried to get Hoffman, I tried to get Elliot Gould."
Allen also claimed that Jack Nicholson and Tom Hanks turned down roles in The Curse Of The Jade Scorpion.
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