Before the sexual misconduct allegations effectively kicked Kevin Spacey out of Hollywood, the actor was working on a biopic of iconic writer Gore Vidal for Netflix. The streaming service quickly cut ties with the actor, leaving the Gore Vidal movie in limbo. Now, nearly a decade later, Spacey is calling on Netflix to finally release the movie.
“I played Gore Vidal in a movie that we shot in 2017 in Italy,” Spacey explained on the Club Random podcast. “It’s a movie called Dear Mr. Vidal, and Netflix has shelved it.“
It’s not like the movie still needs work, as Spacey confirmed that he’s seen it and it’s ready to go. “It’s a shame that they’ve shelved it, because the director, the screenwriter, Michael Stuhlbarg, who plays the Gore lover of 40-some years—I think would win an Academy Award for his performance,” he said. “The other actors, the crew, they’re also being punished, and they shouldn’t be. I hope Netflix grows up about it, because it’s an incredible movie and I have to say, I think it’s one of the best films I’ve ever done. So I would love for that movie to finally get seen.“
Last year, producer Andy Paterson explained that he had repeatedly asked Netflix to either show the film or give him the opportunity to find it a new home, but the company refused. According to Paterson, Netflix has already taken a ta write-off on the film.
“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,” he said. “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.“
Would you like to see Netflix (or someone else) release the Gore Vidal movie starring Kevin Spacey?