Netflix is never going to let Kevin Spacey’s Gore Vidal biopic see the light of day
One of the last projects Kevin Spacey was working on before the 2017 sexual misconduct allegations made him persona non grata in Hollywood was a biopic of iconic writer Gore Vidal for Netflix. After the allegations, the streaming service naturally cut ties with the actor, leaving the Gore Vidal movie in limbo. According to an in-depth report from IndieWire, Netflix has no intention of releasing the film or selling it to a third party, explaining that the company has already taken a tax write-off.
Producer Andy Paterson says he’s “repeatedly asked Netflix either to show the film or to give me the opportunity to find a new life for it. They have said that they do not intend ever to release the Picture or sell it to a third party.“
Paterson continued, “I, and many others in the creative community, find this an extraordinary statement. The audience — including the Netflix subscribers who paid for the film — should be allowed to decide if they want to see it. Netflix asserts its support for freedom of artistic expression yet it will not explain why this film should be buried when they still have the first five seasons of ‘House of Cards’ and several Kevin Spacey films on their platform. Their current excuse for dismissing my request is that they took a tax write-off on the film, but that could easily be resolved. I repeat the request: if you won’t show the film, allow me to find another way for audiences to see a powerful and entertaining exploration of many of the issues that inform the debate around the intersection of sex, power and creativity.“
By the time the allegations broke, the film had already completed principal photography, but even after Netflix decided not to release it, the post-production process continued: editing, ADR (with the exception of Spacey), and even an orchestral score. Once it was complete, a screening for held for the cast and crew. “We had small screenings in the smallest screening room at Warners in London,” said editor Camilla Toniolo. “They liked it very much and they all anxiously asked, ‘So what’s going to happen to this beautiful movie? … They were also not believing that a movie of this caliber would not come out.“
Given the perception of Spacey at the time, Netflix’s actions are understandable, but for the hundreds of other people who worked on the film, it’s a shame that it seems destined to sit on a shelf forever.
Spacey was ultimately found not liable in a civil lawsuit filed by Anthony Rapp and was cleared of all charges in a separate UK trial, but the actor hasn’t exactly regained his former position.
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