Mathieu Kassovitz, director of the supernatural thriller Babylon A.D., is seeking to distance himself from the poorly reviewed film, Variety reported. In an interview with AMCtv.com, Kassovitz called the film "pure violence and stupidity," with parts of the film resembling "a bad episode of 24."

Sources close to the production, who likened Kassovitz to the mercurial Billy Walsh character on Entourage, told the trade paper that the AMC comments were just the latest in a series of headaches involving Kassovitz. Production on Babylon A.D. was delayed three weeks for personal reasons involving Kassovitz. The director also failed to meet many of his press obligations, retreating instead to a Caribbean island.

Kassovitz (Gothika) told AMCtv.com that Fox was to blame for the final state of the film, even though the version reviewed was the director’s international version and Fox is not releasing it overseas.

"Fox was sending lawyers who were looking at all the commas and the dots," Kassovitz said in the interview. "They made everything difficult from A to Z."

Fox declined comment on the Kassovitz remarks but said it is moving full steam ahead on releasing the film. Babylon A.D. opens Aug. 29.