Following allegations of sexual assault against Kevin Spacey, director Ridley Scott made the decision to replace the actor in his new film All the Money in the World, enlisting Christopher Plummer to take on the role of billionaire industrialist J. Paul Getty and embarking on a series of last minute reshoots ahead of the film’s December release. Now, with filming on the reshoots having wrapped, Scott has discussed the reasoning behind his decision during an interview with Entertainment Weekly.
“I was finished with the film and was in [U.K. recording studio] Abbey Road finalizing the music,” said Scott. “Someone was like: Guess what? And that’s where it began. I sat and thought about it and realized, we cannot. You can’t tolerate any kind of behavior like that. And it will affect the film. We cannot let one person’s action affect the good work of all these other people. It’s that simple.”
“I move like lightning,” he continued. “I’m already two scenes ahead. It’s simple! If you know what you’re doing, you don’t need nineteen takes. You do one for the actor, one for me. It’s all planned out. 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. I’ve been shooting since Monday [Nov. 20] and in with the editor every night since then. We’re not dealing with celluloid anymore; it’s all digital, and I send [the footage each day] to [editor Claire Simpson] and she cuts it, and I can go in and look after shooting. Everything I’ve shot is already in [the final cut] up through yesterday morning.”
SEE ALSO: Christopher Plummer replaces Kevin Spacey in new trailer for All the Money in the World
ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD follows the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III (Charlie Plummer) and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother Gail (Michelle Williams) to convince his billionaire grandfather (Christopher Plummer) to pay the ransom.
When Getty Sr. refuses, Gail attempts to sway him as her son’s captors become increasingly volatile and brutal. With her son’s life in the balance, Gail and Getty’s advisor (Mark Wahlberg) become unlikely allies in the 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.
Originally published December 3, 2017. Updated April 19, 2018.
