Ridley Scott details how he replaced Kevin Spacey in 'All the Money in the World'
WATCH Kevin Spacey being replaced by Christopher Plummer in upcoming film
Replacing Kevin Spacey in "All the Money in the World" wasn't easy, but to director Ridley Scott, it was the only option.
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After Spacey was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple people, a representative for Sony confirmed to ABC News earlier this month that scenes from the film would be re-shot with Christopher Plummer playing oil tycoon J. Paul Getty.
The movie, which centers on the 1973 kidnapping of Getty's teenage grandson, will be released on Dec. 22 as originally planned.
"I know I can deliver. I move like lightning. I’m already two scenes ahead. It’s simple! If you know what you’re doing, you don’t need 19 takes. You do one for the actor, one for me. It’s all planned out," Scott explained to Entertainment Weekly. "When you storyboard, you’ve already pre-filmed the movie in your head — the wide shots, close shots, establishing shots. You’ve gotten some of your weird ideas when you’re quietly sitting, storyboarding by yourself. After a while you learn to trust and listen to your intuition. And I listen to mine. I trust it."
Spacey, 58, has not responded to the bulk of allegations made against him, though he did offer an apology to actor Anthony Rapp, who claimed last month that the Oscar winner made a sexual advance toward him when Rapp was 14.
Kevin Spacey film pulled from AFI film festival amid sexual misconduct allegations Kevin Spacey being replaced by Christopher Plummer in upcoming film
"I honestly do not remember the encounter, it would have been over 30 years ago. But if I did behave then as he describes, I owe him the sincerest apology for what would have been deeply inappropriate drunken behavior," Spacey tweeted in the wake of the allegation.
Scott, who will turn 80 on Thursday, the last day of filming, told EW that although he had been "totally" satisfied with Spacey's performance, he knew he needed to cut him to preserve the integrity of the film. Plummer had always been on his list, and Scott said that he was open to taking the role after they met in New York City.
"Then we had to figure out if everyone else would be available to fit in these new days of shooting. Miraculously, they were. Before you can make the decision you have to make these quick phone calls around — not to the actors directly, but to the agents — saying there’s a possibility I may need some pickups [a.k.a. additional shooting days]. You don’t say why because of the gossip, but of course it was really for something much more significant," he said. "It was better to do it like this because once you inform the system, it’s everywhere. Once two people know what it’s about, bang, it’s all out there."
The director said the film will be finished with time to spare.
"We’ll finish next week and I’ll go straight into the editing room, but most of it will already be slotted in," he said. "We’ll smooth out any wrinkles, and bingo, we’re there."
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