The latest, as-yet-untitled Woody Allen movie is in production, with a cast featuring Kristen Stewart, Jesse Eisenberg, Parker Posey, Blake Lively, Corey Stoll and Judy Davis. Until this week, it also starred Bruce Willis, who recently departed, citing scheduling conflicts with his upcoming Broadway show (though rumors have said this excuse is really code for “got fired”).

Regardless, it’s always surprising to find yet another crop of decent actors have signed on to work with the 79-year-old director. His work in recent years (if not decades) has largely been creepy (“Magic in the Moonlight”), clunky (“Irrational Man”) or tone-deaf (“To Rome with Love”).

But for some reason, no one in Hollywood seems able to say no to a request to join his cast. Au contraire: When interviews come out in advance of his films, you’re always sure to hear the refrain about how “I don’t have to think too hard about working with Woody Allen.”

So why do they keep signing on — despite all the signs blaring “DUD AHEAD”? We’ve pinpointed a few key reasons.

MIDNIGHT IN PARIS official trailer in HD!

Every so often Woody will still hit it right — as in the charming 2011 romp “Midnight in Paris” and the slightly more mixed-bag “Blue Jasmine” two years later, which garnered an Oscar for star Cate Blanchett. You can’t blame actors for hoping they’ll get lucky and choose the next film to spawn a slew of effusive praise about how Woody Allen is back on top of his game.

They’re still in love with Old Hollywood

Face it: A lot of movies these days aren’t exactly intellectual. Sequels, comic-book fare and young-adult dystopian war pics are all the rage, leaving actors who are hungrier for something slightly more highbrow with few good options. Woody represents the heyday of intelligent cinematic auteurs — who wouldn’t want to work with the guy responsible for this?

Woody Allen meets Marshall McLuhan

He basically leaves you alone

If there’s one commonality among interviews with actors who’ve starred in Woody’s movies, it’s that the famously neurotic director keeps most of his talent at arm’s length and just expects them to do their thing. (Unless you’re his muse du jour, like Scarlett Johansson or, more recently, Emma Stone — watch out, Kristen Stewart!)

You always get to work with good people

It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy: Woody’s movies are full of big names because everyone expects that all the other A-listers will say yes to an invitation — and everyone does. And so the cycle continues, with Allen being the big, inexplicable winner.

It’s not a big time-suck

As a director devoted to putting out a movie a year — as he’s been doing for nearly four decades now — Woody can’t spend too much time on one film. When you sign on to work with him, you know you’ll be in and out in short order — and then have a Woody Allen film on your résumé, which will, seemingly, be good currency forever and ever, no matter how abysmal the final product really is.

So maybe it’s a no-brainer after all.

Top 10 Woody Allen Movies

PBS American Masters – Woody Allen A Documentary 01

PBS American Masters – Woody Allen A Documentary 02

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In my opinion Woody Allen’s best movie is CRIMES AND MISDEMEANORS!!!!

Crimes and Misdemeanors 1989 Woody Allen

Woody Allen Crimes and Misdemeanors Nihilism Nietzsche’s Death of God