peter five eight, The new film starring Kevin Spacey (the Oscar-winning actor who was accused of sexual misconduct by dozens of people in 2017 and was acquitted of sexual assault charges in the UK last summer) will open on March 21st at the Philadelphia Theater in Philadelphia. It was scheduled to be screened at the Film Center, and a reception was also held. Then it featured Spacey.
But on Thursday night, the Philadelphia Film Society canceled the event, saying advertising inaccurately portrayed the event as a public premiere rather than a private screening as originally planned.
“We are committed to carefully selected programming, and the programming we publish aligns with our values. We never intended to release this,” said J. Andrew Greenblatt, CEO of PFS. says Mr. “This was supposed to be a private rental run by someone, and we were never told it was going to be a premiere… Once it seemed like it was going to be a public release, it didn't reflect what we do or what our values are. It didn't match and we wanted it to have nothing to do with it. ”
Greenblatt did not say what about the event was inconsistent with his organization's values or standards for private events. He knew Spacey was in the movie, he said, but he hadn't seen it. “Obviously, going forward, we'll be able to better check out the movies we're interested in,” he said.
in Statement regarding X PFS released this statement on Thursday night, saying: “We apologize to anyone who may have been offended by our perceived involvement and inaccurate portrayal.”
The rental request came from Invincible Entertainment, a Montgomery County-based distribution company run by Philadelphia Museum of Art alumnus Tom Ashley. Peter Five Eight. The film, an indie thriller starring Spacey as an assassin, will receive a limited theatrical release before being released online. Ashley said the ad was not intended to imply association involvement and that she understood why PFS canceled it.
“They made a decision that they thought was best for their image,” Ashley said. “My understanding is that they received negative feedback and decided it wasn't something they wanted to pursue. That's certainly their prerogative.”
Invincible Entertainment promoted the private screening on social media and offered a ticket giveaway. The company did not discuss the promotion with PFS.
“Indeed, we never mentioned the Film Institute, we only mentioned the Center, because that's where it was. How else could they make us say anything? I don't know. So we have to let people know where it's going to be,” Ashley said.
Another point of contention is Spacey's attendance, which Ashley claims PFS knew all along.
“They knew we were going to have a VIP event with Kevin at the venue…that was all part of our initial conversation,” Ashley said.
But Greenblatt, who served as an acquisition consultant for Invincible Entertainment from 2012 to 2017, said he was unaware of the actor's plans to appear. “I don't think anyone on our team has confirmed that,” he said.
Ashley doesn't have any hard feelings towards PFS, but is irritated by the reaction to Spacey. “He was found not guilty of these charges, which has been proven numerous times in court and is one of the reasons why we agreed to take this film on,” he said. Stated. “I'd like to think the British court system is good enough to pursue these things and get to the truth. It's enough to say, 'Okay, let's try again.'”
Directed by Michael Zaiko Hall peter five eight Filmed in late 2021 and into 2022, Spacey was facing lawsuits from multiple accusers, including a civil suit from actor Anthony Rapp, who says he was sexually assaulted when he was 14 years old. In 2022, Spacey was found not responsible. In July 2023, a London jury acquitted the actor of nine counts of sexual assault and indecent assault.
In the wake of Rapp's 2017 accusations, more than 30 men have come forward to accuse Spacey of inappropriate behavior and sexual assault, from movie sets to theater stages.As a result, the actor's tower on the sand A character on the hit Netflix series was murdered, and the show's production company was later ordered to pay $31 million for sexually harassing a crew member.
The actor has lost a number of roles in the years since these allegations surfaced, but has recently found some success landing small indie films such as: peter five eight.
Ashley wouldn't have picked up the film if Spacey had been convicted, but he said the decision was about more than one actor. It's about making sure that the cast and crew also have a chance to release the film.
Previously featured by Invincible Entertainment yoga hoserand clerk Stars Kevin Smith, Johnny Depp, and Depp's daughter Lily-Rose Depp. The film was released months after Depp's ex-wife Amber Heard filed for divorce and requested a restraining order against Depp in 2016.
“This isn't necessarily the reputation we were looking for,” Ashley said. “We all knew that [Depp] I would never do anything like that. But that didn't matter because in the court of public opinion he was guilty. He said the allegations “ruined” the film and cost him and his investors millions of dollars in losses.
for peter five eight, Ashley hopes that audiences will be open to seeing Spacey on screen again after his acquittal, but says he realizes that many people don't want anything to do with the movie or Spacey. Following the cancellation of PFS, Ashley said she has identified a new Philadelphia venue for the March 21st premiere and reception, which will be announced in the coming days, and of course Spacey is expected to be there. That's what it means.