Burying a big budget movie and firing an A list actor from a hit show isn’t cheap. Sure, you might think a production could save some on the paycheck that isn’t going out the door anymore, but that’s not really the case. As Netflix has learned with the firing of Kevin Spacey. Sexual harassment charges are creating big bills for those who used to employ the accused. And the streaming service is facing a $39 million bill after booting out one of its biggest stars.
Netflix cut all ties with Kevin Spacey after he was accused of sexual misconduct by a number of men late last year. He was cut from House of Cards, which was already midway through shooting its sixth season. After firing Spacey from the show, it was confirmed that this will be the final season, and that Robin Wright is taking over as the lead.
Not only did Netflix drop Kevin Spacey from House of Cards in what perhaps was supposed to be its most important season to date in terms of bringing the story to its close, the streaming giant also canceled Spacey’s Gore Vidal biopic titled Gore. Netflix disclosed its $39 million loss with the fourth-quarter earning report released on Monday. Netflix claimed they had an ‘unexpected’ charge for ‘unreleased content’ they have ‘decided not to move forward with.’ At this time, it’s unclear what could happen to Gore, or if it will ever be released.
Netflix announced in November 2017 that they were removing Kevin Spacey from House of Cards. The show went on hiatus as the producers and showrunners decided how to move forward without their lead character. It was at this same time that they cut all ties with the Gore Vidal biopic that starred Kevin Spacey. Spacey produced the movie, which was in the middle of postproduction at the time it was canceled. That means a lot of good people are having their work rejected because of the actions of just one man.
Not long after, Louis C.K. was embroiled in his own sexual assault scandal. Netflix had no choice but to cancel their upcoming special with the comedian. The streaming giant then decided to fire Danny Masterson from any further episodes of The Ranch, after the actor was accused of multiple rapes. It is noted that the firing of Masterson does not tally into the $39 million loss, and that The Ranch is moving forward as planned, with a new actor being sought to replace Masterson.
At this time, there is no release date for House of Cards Season 6, and it isn’t clear how soon the show will return. It’s also not clear if the footage shot with Kevin Spacey will be used, or if they will kill him off in the first episode of the new season, starting the story over from scratch. It is possible that Frank Underwood will get shoved in front of a speeding subway car, but that’s only fan speculation at the moment. As for Gore, even if a distributor picks it up, it will be years before audiences see it. The movie is in limbo, and there is no indication whether or not it is being finished in post, or just being left to linger until a much later date. This news first appeared in The Hollywood Reporter