An accusation against a member of the cast of a big movie planned for fall could torpedo the whole project.

The accusation, against Ansel Elgort, a popular young actor, is alleged on Twitter by a girl named Gabby with no last name and not much to back it up. But social media being what it is, word is traveling fast.

Elgort plays Tony, the romantic lead, in Steven Spielberg’s updated “West Side Story” coming this Christmas from Disney (via Fox). Elgort was the actor who I actually mentioned for the Tony role (although believe me, that meant little). He’s had a hot career at age 25, most notably in Edgar Wright’s “Baby Driver” and the teen weeper, “The Fault in our Stars.”:

The #Metoo world is so loaded right now that every allegation becomes fact instantly. Here there are few facts other than “gabby” posting her claim. She’s also posted a photo of her and Elgort, and a screen shot of texts. Neither of those things is evidence of anything.

There is no comment as yet from Elgort’s reps.

Gabby, whoever she is, says Elgort assaulted her in 2014 when she was 17 years old.  He would have been 19 or 20. She wrote: “It’s a lot for me to post this but I think it’s time I finally talk about my story of me being sexually assaulted. I need to heal and I want others to know they’re not alone…All the hate is fine because I know my story and the only reason for me posting it is to help people who I know went through something like this whether that be with a celebrity or not. As for the support I’m so thankful for you all…So many of you have dmed me your stories whether that’s with him or just in general. This is the reason why I tweeted what I did. I’m crying at work I’m so fucking thankful for you all. You’re not alone…Also the point of me posting my story was so other people can feel safe and can talk about their stories. It isn’t to “press charges “ or for “clout” simply be nice to others you never know wtf someone is going through or what they have to live with”

Since the postings, Gabby has gone radio silent. She’s also made her Instagram account private.

Is it true? Is it a false claim? And will it matter? We’re waiting word from Elgort’s rep, and further comment from “gabby.” Either way, the story is tragic for everyone involved. Social media without verification is like a bomb always waiting to go off. In this case, it’s about the two people at the center of the story, and also about the fate of this movie. You’ll recall how a couple of years ago, Nate Parker’s career was wrecked and his movie, “The Birth of a Nation,” became like Kryptonite after a scandal in his past was revealed.

Stay tuned…

When you go to an AMC Theater soon, you’ll have to wear a face mask.

This is AMC’s new policy after telling Variety yesterday that only employees would wear masks. AMC said it didn’t want to get “political.”

After Variety’s story came out yesterday, I emailed Ryan Moonan from AMC and asked if the company would include wording on their tickets our their website in which customers waived the right to sue if they felt they became ill at an AMC theater. The pr guy didn’t respond.

This morning, AMC reversed course and announced their new plan. If you don’t bring a mask, they’ll sell you one for a buck. The mask will be required. How this will work for eating and drinking is beyond me. Also, couples on a date night will have to smooch discreetly.

But look, you have to wear a mask in close quarters during this time. There’s no way around it. And AMC saw quickly how people responded. No mask, no movie.

Here’s their statement:

At AMC, we have been consulting with top scientists and health experts to create a broad, sweeping, far-reaching health and safety effort to make AMC Theatres safe for our guests and associates when our theatres reopen in July. Among many elements of that comprehensive plan was a requirement for our associates all to wear masks nationwide, as well as a requirement for our guests all to wear masks in the many parts of the country that will require it. In those areas of the country where masks will not be required, we nonetheless planned to strongly encourage mask usage by guests, and fully expected that the vast majority would do so. That policy on guest mask usage, which is directly comparable with our major competitors and many other highly regarded retailers, was announced yesterday afternoon.

“This announcement prompted an intense and immediate outcry from our customers, and it is clear from this response that we did not go far enough on the usage of masks. At AMC Theatres, we think it is absolutely crucial that we listen to our guests. Accordingly, and with the full support of our scientific advisors, we are reversing course and are changing our guest mask policy. As we reopen theatres, we now will require that all AMC guests nationwide wear masks as they enter and enjoy movies at our theatres. The speed with which AMC moved to revise our mask policies is a reflection of our commitment to the safety and health of our guests.

“We will constantly monitor the scientific community’s latest thinking as to the efficacy of mask usage. We also will be looking at the varying health conditions in specific localities around our theatres all across the country. This will help us to determine what our mask policy will be as we go forward, as well as to make any other needed changes to this policy. Guests coming to our theatres may bring their own masks of course, but for those who do not have one, masks will be available at our theatre box offices at a nominal $1.00 price. Those who are unwilling to wear a mask will not be admitted or allowed to stay.”