Kevin Spacey is making a comeback in a new movie that will be available to buy at Cannes.
The Cannes Film Festival is scheduled to take place from 17-28 May.
While journalists will be available to watch the premiere of new films, including David Cronenberg’s Crimes of the Future and Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, there will also be a selection of unmade films seeking distribution as part of Cannes Market.
One such film will be 1242 – Gateway to the West, a historical drama set to star Spacey. Principal photography on the UK, Hungarian and Mongolian co-production will begin in October 2022. The film will also star Eric Roberys, Christopher Lambert and Terence Stamp.
Hungarian filmmaker Peter Soos will direct the film, which has been written by Aron Horvath and Joan Lane.
The film will be Spacey’s first major role since he was accused of sexual assault by dozens of men, including Anthony Rapp, in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal that rocked Hollywood in 2017. After the allegations surfaced, Spacey was fired from House of Cards and Ridley Scott replaced his scenes with Christopher Plummer in All the Money in the World.
Last month, Spacey said through his lawyers that the claims in Rapp’s suit – in which he alleges Spacey abused him at a party in 1986 when he was a teenager – are untrue.
Spacey’s lawyers stated that the event Rapp described never occurred.
When Rapp went public with his allegations, Spacey had responded by saying he was “beyond horrified” to hear of the allegations and that he “honestly [did] not remember the encounter”.
He added: “If I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate behaviour.”
In 2018, indie distributor Vertical Entertainment gave crime drama Billionaire Boys Club a limited release in US cinemas. Spacey filmed his scenes before the accusations were made.
Spacey has also filmed roles in Franco Nero’s The Man Who Drew God, alongside Robert Davi and Faye Dunaway, and Peter Five Eight alongside Rebecca De Mornay.
