Taxi Driver screenwriter Paul Schrader says he could’ve done a Frank Sinatra biopic, but the project died over his insistence on casting a “canceled” actor to star. The legendary singer and actor has been rumored as a biopic subject for years, but this long-dreamed-about Sinatra movie has yet to materialize. Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio are the biggest names trying to bring Sinatra’s story to the screen, but their planned project has reportedly stalled.
Famed Scorsese collaborator Schrader may not be involved in this proposed DiCaprio-starring Sinatra biopic, but he has considered the idea of making his own movie about the life of the superstar mafia-connected crooner, though only if he’s allowed to cast one particular actor in the lead. Unfortunately, the actor he has in mind, Kevin Spacey, is in exile from Hollywood after facing allegations of sexual misconduct (via MovieWeb):
“I never worked on it. I was sent the Frank Sinatra script […] It’s not the one Marty [Scorsese] is trying to do either. I thought, ‘This was made for Kevin Spacey,’ and I went to the financers and said, ‘I’ll do this with Kevin Spacey,’ and they said, ‘No, you won’t. We won’t make that film’. Even though he was acquitted in a court of law, he is still canceled. I was only interested in doing it with Kevin.”
What This Means For Spacey And Schrader
Spacey Has Faced Multiple Allegations Since 2017
Spacey’s alleged history of sexual misconduct began coming to light in 2017 when actor Anthony Rapp accused the Oscar-winner of making sexual advances toward him at a party when Rapp was only 15. More allegations followed, including some accusing Spacey of sexual harassment on the set of the Netflix show House of Cards. Though multiple criminal and civil cases have been opened against Spacey, he has yet to be found guilty in court.
Spacey made his return to the big screen in 2022’s
The Man Who Drew God
, directed by Franco Nero
Though criminal charges against him have indeed failed to stick, Spacey has faced career-related consequences, losing his role on House of Cards, and being removed from Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World after already filming his role (Christopher Plummer was rushed in to take his place). For his part, Schrader seems to believe that Spacey has had his day in court and been found not guilty, and should therefore be back on film producers’ radar. Financiers looking to make a Sinatra biopic with Schrader seem to disagree, however.
Our Take On Schrader Wanting To Make A Sinatra Movie With Spacey
Schrader Is Known For Taking Controversial Stances
Schrader has long been outspoken on a variety of topics, sometimes rubbing people the wrong way with his controversial opinions. Given his iconoclastic tendencies, it’s no surprise that Schrader disagrees with Hollywood’s attitude toward Spacey, an actor who received loads of acclaim before being “canceled” by the industry.
While it’s no shock to see the uncompromising Schrader sticking to his guns on a matter of casting, it is somewhat puzzling that he would so strongly insist on casting Spacey for Sinatra, refusing to consider anyone else. There are plenty of uncanceled actors around who could do a good job portraying the legendary singer/actor in Schrader’s sure-to-be-interesting biopic, but the director won’t budge on Spacey.
Schrader is seemingly out of the running to make a Sinatra film, but Scorsese and DiCaprio remain in the game, though their project faces its own problems. Sinatra would seem a natural subject for a biopic in an era when movies about famous singers are hotter than ever, but getting such a movie off the ground is proving nearly impossible.
Source: MovieWeb
