In the wake of the sexual assault charges leveled against him, embattled actor, Kevin Spacey has been dropped from the lead role of the historical drama, 1242: Gateway to the West. Per Variety, the actor will no longer lead the movie as negotiations are ongoing to find a replacement.
With the backdrop of the sexual assault case against him, Spacey will not star in the historical drama where he was set to play the role of a canon, a holy man who lead the defenders of a Hungarian castle against one of Genghis Khan’s invading armies, confirms Bill Chamberlain, the movie’s producer. This isn't the first time Spacey's unsavory behavior has cost him a role. He lost his role as Frank Underwood on the Netflix political series House of Cards following similar allegations in 2017. He currently plans to return to acting with Peter Five Eight with the producers defending their lead star.
Spacey has been accused by multiple men of sexual harassment and abuse. This includes the case of three anonymous men who accused the actor of sexual assault in the UK between 2005 and 2013. He appeared at the Old Bailey criminal court Thursday and has pleaded not guilty to all five counts of sexual assault he's currently facing. The trial is set to begin on June 6 of next year. Later this year, however, Spacey will face a civil case in New York brought by actor Anthony Rapp. Rapp was the first to publicly accuse Spacey in 2017 — the case will be heard in October. British broadcaster, Channel 4 has ordered a documentary series named Spacey Unmasked which will follow the rise and fall of the actor as well as his current legal battles.
1242: Gateway to the West will be proceeding without Spacey. The movie was shopped at the Cannes film market and it will have a budget range of $10 million to $25 million. While Chamberlain produces the movie, Péter Soós will direct. A two-month shoot for the movie is set to begin on October 17.
Check out the film’s official description:
“When the Kingdom of Hungary’s army was annihilated by the Mongols at the Battle of Mohi, only the castle of Esztergom stood in their way to invade Europe. Batu, the grandson of Genghis Khan, reaches the walls of Esztergom with his invincible army. The castle’s defenders led by Eusebius, the canon of Esztergom, and a Spanish mercenary, captain Simon, are preparing for the final battle. The arrival of the papal legate, Cardinal Cesareani, the Mongol Lunar New Year’s celebration and the mystical approach of Eusebius, offer the defenders a small glimmer of hope.”