A couple of days ago it was announced that director Ridley Scott has decided to cut Kevin Spacey from his new film All the Money in the World, and will be reshooting all of the Oscar winner’s scenes to replace him with Christopher Plummer.
The move is unprecedented, given that the film – which deals with the kidnapping of billionaire J. Paul Getty’s grandson – is less than seven weeks away from release. As Variety notes, the reshoots are expected to take eight to ten days, and will add over $10 million to the film’s budget. On top of this, financiers Imperative Entertainment will also need to create new marketing material, including posters, trailers and in-theater standees, which could add further millions to the cost.
The reshoots will also require the return of stars Mark Wahlberg and Michelle Williams, with Scott and the producers said to have ruled out the possibility of shooting Plummer’s scenes against a green screen and digitally inserting him into the movie. The plan is for the movie to be locked by December 15th.
SEE ALSO: Is it time to erase Kevin Spacey from history?
Rome, 1973. Masked men kidnap a teenage boy named Paul (Charlie Plummer). His grandfather, J. Paul Getty (Christopher Plummer), is the richest man in the world, a billionaire oil magnate, but he’s notoriously miserly. His favorite grandson’s abduction is not reason enough for him to part with any of his fortune. All the Money in the World follows Gail, (Michelle Williams), Paul’s devoted, strong-willed mother, who unlike Getty, has consistently chosen her children over his fortune. Her son’s life in the balance with time running out, she attempts to sway Getty even as her son’s mob captors become increasingly more determined, volatile and brutal. When Getty sends his enigmatic security man Fletcher Chace (Mark Wahlberg) to look after his interests, he and Gail become unlikely allies in this race against time that ultimately reveals the true and lasting value of love over money.
All the Money in the World is set for release on December 22nd.
