Disgraced actor Kevin Spacey, who had been set to return to acting this year, has now been fired once again from an acting role in a Genghis Khan film after being charged with five new counts of sexual assault.
Spacey was once one of Hollywood's biggest actors, known for films such as Se7en and American Beauty and for the TV series House of Cards. However, when Spacey was accused of sexually harassing a 14-year-old boy in October 2017, the same month the Harvey Weinstein scandal shook Hollywood, the actor was dropped from all his roles and has not been seen in a major project since.
In May of this year, Spacey was slapped with five new criminal charges of sexual assault and rape between the years 2004-2015 in the U.K. In a court appearance in London, he pled not guilty to all counts and his trial was set for June 6, 2023. In a moment bound to inspire déjà vu, Variety also revealed today that one of Spacey's new projects, an upcoming historical drama titled 1242: Gateway to the West, has fired him from the leading role in response to the charges. The former star’s first attempt to return to acting in 5 years was quickly squashed. He was to star in 1242 as a Hungarian priest trying to stop Genghis Khan's invasion of Europe.
Principal photography for the film is scheduled to begin on October 17, and producer Bill Chamberlain is in the process of negotiating with a new star to replace Spacey. While the accused rapist has been fired from one major role, he is still set to star in the low-budget thriller Peter Five Eight as a mysterious private detective stalking the woman across the street. Even after the new sexual assault charges came to light, the film’s director defended Spacey, saying “Peter Five Eight is a film for fans who care more for the art than the scandal.”
However, it’s not surprising that the director would refuse to fire Spacey, as he is the biggest name attached to the small film and the negative publicity is greatly boosting its profile. They have nothing to lose by keeping him attached.
1242: Gateway to the West is set to begin filming on October 17, 2022.
Source: Variety