The Decision To Release The Movie Was “Neither Easy Nor Insensitive.”
Billionaire Boys Club will mark Kevin Spacey’s first major screen appearance since allegations emerged last year that he made unwanted sexual advances toward young male actors and created a toxic work environment.
Despite these accusations of sexual harassment and assault, the movie will be released more than two years after it was filmed.
Indie distributor Vertical Entertainment — which is also handling John Travolta’s Gotti — said it was “neither an easy nor insensitive decision” to release Billionaire Boys Club in cinemas.
Vertical stresses that Spacey plays a smaller, supporting role in the film and that the rest of the cast shouldn’t be penalized.
In a statement, Vertical said:
“We hope these distressing allegations pertaining to one person’s behaviour — 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.”
Billionaire Boys Club, directed by James Cox, reunites Spacey with Baby Driver co-star Ansel Elgort in the story of young men attempting to strike it rich by planning a Ponzi scheme.
Netflix and MRC fired him from House of Cards, while Ridley Scott replaced Spacey in All the Money in the World.
This will likely be the acid test of whether moviegoers want to see the disgraced actor regularly back on the big screen, Billionaire Boys Club will get a limited release in theatres this summer, on Aug. 17, following its debut on VOD mid-July.
