Controversial actor Kevin Spacey has picked up his next movie role. Per Variety, Spacey has been cast in Control, a British thriller that's in the works at Cupsogue Pictures. Word is Spacey will be playing a voiceover role in which he'll be heard but possibly not actually shown in the film. The actor is reportedly recording his lines this week while the filmmakers will shoot on location in London in early 2023.
Gene Fallaize (Superman Requiem) is the writer and director of Control. Adam Southwick (Cain Hill) and Emily Hasseldine (Beneath) are producing with Fallaize executive producing. Lauren Metcalfe (Full Bodied) stars alongside Mark Hampton (Midnight Peepshow) while Spacey voices the movie's "disembodied" villain who takes control of the protagonist's car. Per the report, a description of the film is as follows:
Control tells the story of a British government minister, Stella Simmons (Fallaize), who has embarked on a torrid affair with the Prime Minister (Hampton). One night, as Simmons heads home in her self-driving car, she finds the vehicle remotely hijacked by someone who knows her secret and wants revenge. Soon, the car is taken on a rampage through the streets of London with Simmons trapped inside.
Kevin Spacey's Legal Troubles Continue
The elephant in the room is the controversy attached to Spacey. After he was accused of sexual misconduct, the actor's career nosedived pretty quickly, but he recently picked up a win with the ensuing legal troubles that followed. He was brought to trial by actor Anthony Rapp as part of a $40 million lawsuit alleging sexual battery, but the jurors ultimately sided with Spacey, feeling that the allegations weren't sufficiently proven. Spacey's also not out of the woods just yet, legally speaking, when it comes to the allegations, as he faces another upcoming trial in the UK on five counts of sexual assault. The actor also owes producer MRC $31 million in damages after his Netflix firing from House of Cards due to previous allegations of misconduct.
Control director Gene Fallaize says he wrote the script for the film with Spacey in mind as someone who grew up as a fan of the actor. The filmmaker admits that he considered the controversy attached to Spacey, but told Variety that he didn't see it as a "concern."
“He’s one of the greatest actors of our generation,” Fallaize says. “His personal life aside — it’s something I can’t comment on and have no knowledge of — it’s an opportunity to work with one of the acting greats.”
Control doesn't have a release date set at this time.