Kevin Spacey will return to the big screen with 'Billionaire Boys Club' despite sexual assault allegations
Kevin Spacey's fall from grace following multiple accusations of sexual assault has been nothing short of spectacular and the actor has remained visibly absent from the public eye since then. Networks quickly moved to cut off their ties with the actor, with Netflix firing him from House of Cards, on which he was even an executive producer, and Ridley Scott moving to replace his scenes in All the Money in the World with Christopher Plummer.
However, it seems that he may have finally caught a break, with indie distributor Vertical Entertainment announcing that Spacey will not be scrubbed from 'Billionaire Boys Club,' an upcoming biographical crime drama based on the real-life Billionaire Boys Club that was active in Southern California during the 1980s. In fact, Vertical's trailer for the film features Spacey, who will be playing the role of Beverly Hills high roller Ron Levin, quite significantly.
Vertical quickly moved to explain their stance insisting that it was unfair that the rest of the cast should be punished for Spacey's indiscretions and that their decision to go ahead with him in the film was 'neither easy nor insensitive.' They also added that they were unaware of his actions during the shooting of the film.
A statement from the distributor read: "We hope these distressing allegations pertaining to one person’s behavior — that were not publicly known when the film was made almost two-and-a-half years ago and from someone who has a small, supporting role in Billionaire Boys Club — does not tarnish the release of the film."
"We don't condone sexual harassment on any level and we fully support victims of it. At the same time, this is neither an easy nor insensitive decision to release this film in theatres, but we believe in giving the cast, as well as hundreds of crew members who worked hard on the film, the chance to see their final product reach audiences," it continued.
The statement also pleaded audiences and viewers to treat Spacey's misdemeanors as his own and not vent their frustrations at the rest of those in the movie: "In the end, we hope audiences make up their own minds as to the reprehensible allegations of one person’s past, but not at the expense of the entire cast and crew present on this film."
'Billionaire Boys Club' also stars the likes of Ansel Elgort, Taron Egerton, Jeremy Irvine, Cary Elwes, Emma Roberts, Suki Waterhouse, Judd Nelson, and Billie Lourd, with the official description reading: "Led by their fellow preppie friend Joe Hunt, a group of wealthy boys in 1980s Los Angeles come up with a plan to get-rich-quick with a Ponzi scheme. The plan ends badly for all involved when Hunt and friend Jim Pittman end up murdering investor and con-man Ron Levin."
In light of the several allegations emerging against Spacey this past October, the fate of 'Billionaire Boys Club,' like that of 'House of Cards,' had come under question. But it looks like Spacey will keep his role in the movie which will make its debut on video on demand services in July and then receive a limited release in cinemas in the country in August.