Kevin Spacey’s latest film may hit cinemas as soon as this year after the actor was cleared of sexual assault.
In July, Spacey, 64, was found not guilty of sexually assaulting four men following a trial in London.
The Oscar-winner had denied nine charges including sexual assault, which were alleged to have been committed between 2001 and 2013.
Addressing reporters outside the court, Spacey said: “I would like to say that I’m enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts, carefully, before they reached their decision. I am humbled by the outcome.”
Since allegations of sexual misconduct were first made against Spacey in 2017 by actor Anthony Rapp, who a New York jury found in October 2022 Spacey did not molest, the House of Cards star’s screen roles have been few and far between.
Peter Five Eight, which featured Spacey in his first leading role in five years, was screened at Cannes last summer, and in November, it was announced that he had been cast in a voice role in Control, a British indie film.
At the time, writer and director Gene Fallaize said that while the allegations against Spacey and his “personal life” were “a consideration, I wouldn’t say it was a concern”.
Now, the film’s sales agent has said that the film could be in UK and US cinemas by the end of the year.
Spacey leaves court after being cleared of sexual assault— (The Associated Press)
Strath Hamilton, the co-CEO of distribution company TriCoast Worldwide, said that he is having “serious conversations” with buyers, adding: “We would like to have the film in cinemas in December.”
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £6.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 days
New subscribers only. £6.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled
While Spacey was awaiting trial when his casting was first announced, Hamilton said that Control had initially attracted positive interest from buyers in territories where “social media matters and culture wars are not top of the agenda”.
Before the verdict was even announced, the company said that they were “very well prepped for the obviously possibility that these false charges would be proved not to be true, and had a lot of buyers ready in the US and UK”.
Control centres upon a government minister (Lauren Metcalfe) who is having an affair with the Prime Minister (Mark Hampton) and ends up being kidnapped after her self-driving car is hijacked.
Spacey will voice the villain who has taken control of the car and only appears as a voice.
During his trial, which took place at Southwark Crown Court last month, Spacey denied seven counts of sexual assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent.
Spacey described the allegations against him as “madness” and a “stab in the back”.
