Netflix had to make a huge change to one of their most popular shows following misconduct allegations against Kevin Spacey. However, that's not the only place the streaming service needed to do something drastic. In addition to firing Spacey from House of Cards and making Robin Wright the star of the show, Netflix also shelved a movie the actor had already completed, a movie which we'll probably never see because, in addition to Netflix already cutting all ties, it contains sequences with Kevin Spacey's character involved with sex workers that likely won't sit well with audiences considering what the actor has been accused of.
The movie was a biopic of author Gore Vidal that would have seen Kevin Spacey play the title role. It was completed about a year ago but has never been released and at this point, it looks like it never will be. Netflix has already ended their relationship with Spacey entirely, a move which reportedly cost them $39 million, but even if another studio wanted to take a chance on the actor, it's unlikely anybody will want to touch Gore.
Gore Vidal apparently had some less than traditional views regarding sex and sex workers, which get depicted in the film. According to Buzzfeed, this includes scenes of Kevin Spacey engaged in sex with young men as well as transgender sex workers. Considering that improper conduct with young men is among the accusations that have been leveled against Spacey personally, this art may be imitating life a little too closely.
The question of whether or not Kevin Spacey will ever work in Hollywood again has yet to be clearly answered. However, if there's any chance that he does, it will need to be done in such a way that the audience is not reminded of the conduct Spacey allegedly engaged in. The movie Gore would have the opposite effect.
This means that even if Netflix were willing to sell the movie to some other studio, it's unlikely there is one that would be willing to release it.
A similar fate has thus far befallen I Love You, Daddy, a film made by Louis C.K. before sexual misconduct allegations were made against him. That film was about a Hollywood star's relationship with a much younger girl. While the comedian has since returned to the public eye in a somewhat limited way, the film has yet to be released.
Kevin Spacey was considered such a toxic name that Ridley Scott had him completely replaced in last year's All the Money in the World, bringing in Christopher Plummer to reshoot every scene that Spacey had already done. This means Spacey's last film that was released didn't actually include him, and then there's Gore which may just sit on a shelf forever.
