Kevin Spacey cut from Ridley Scott's new film weeks before release

Actor accused of sexual harassment edited out of Jean Paul Getty biopic ‘All The Money In The World’ ahead of Christmas debut

Kevin Spacey will be cut from finished upcoming thriller All The Money In The World and replaced in an unprecedented move for a Hollywood film, according to reports.

The actor, who faces a number of allegations of sexual misconduct, was due to star alongside Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Williams in the film slated for release on 22 December.

However, director Ridley Scott has chosen to remove Spacey, who appeared in a number of scenes portraying US mogul Jean Paul Getty, and replace him with Christopher Plummer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The thriller, which retells the tale of the 1973 kidnapping of Getty's grandson, had reportedly already been pulled as the closing night screening of the AFI (American Film Institute) Fest on November 16, at the British director's insistence.

Re-filming Spacey's scenes with Plummer, who won an Oscar for his role in 2010 comedy Beginners, and replacing them within the edit would pose a significant challenge for Scott and his team if the scheduled Christmas release date is to be kept.

The reported move comes after Netflix announced it was cutting ties with Spacey.

The actor starred in the streaming service's hit political drama House of Cards, which is now without a central character.

Netflix said it had also canned a biopic of US author Gore Vidal starring Spacey.

PA