Vanessa Redgrave Drops Out of Proposed Kevin Spacey Film

Kevin Spacey may be returning to films, but he won't be co-starring with Oscar-winning actress Vanessa Redgrave as announced earlier this week.

"Vanessa Redgrave�has issued a statement through a representative confirming she is not involved with the upcoming movie 'The Man Who Drew God,' which has ignited an industry firestorm this week as it will mark�Kevin Spacey's first movie since several allegations of sexual misconduct were made against him starting in 2017," reports IndieWire.

The film is to be directed by Redgrave's husband, Franco Nero. The couple had an on-and-off relationship for more than half-a-century having started an affair while shooting "Camelot" in 1967. They had a son together before breaking up. Over the years, both were involved with other people before getting back together and marrying in 2006.

Nero defended casting Spacey with a statement that read in part: "I'm very happy Kevin agreed to participate in my film. I consider him a great actor and I can't wait to start the movie." He was joined by the film's producer, Louis Nero, who said he believes the accusations against Spacey are "false," adding, "I cast him because he is a great actor."

Spacey role, IndieWire wrote in an earlier report, is said to be "small" with Nero having the lead.

After it was announced that Spacey was cast, Oscar-winning writer and director Paul Schrader posted on Facebook his support of the actor."About time. If he's guilty of a crime, incarcerate him. If not, let him act. Many great artists have been bad people."

But one of the men who accused Spacey of sexual misconduct spoke out against the casting. "Mark Ebenhoch, an actor who accused Spacey of sexual misconduct on the set of the 1995 movie "Outbreak," condemned the casting in an interview with TMZ (via�The Independent)," reported IndieWire. "Ebenhoch called the casting�'arrogant,' 'irresponsible,' and 'absurd' given Spacey is being hired to play a sex abuse investigator after his personal history of alleged sexual abuse and misconduct. Ebenhoch said his first thought when hearing about the casting was, 'What the hell?'"

Spacey last released film was 2018's"Billionaire Boys Club." Previous to that, he was the villain in Edgar Wright's 2017 hit "Baby Driver." He was famously edited out at the last minute from Ridley Scott's 2017 "All the Money in the World" and replaced by the late Christopher Plummer, who received an Oscar nomination for his performance. Aside from his legal troubles, Spacey has kept a low profile for the past few years, turning up during the holidays for a series of YouTube videos where he impersonated his "House of Cards" character, Frank Underwood.

and he also appeared in Edgar Wright's 2017 action movie "Baby Driver." He's continued ever since to attempt a comeback through YouTube videos in which he channels the persona of Frank Underwood. In 2019, he emerged under puzzling circumstances to read a poem in Rome centered on a dejected fighter bemoaning his fate.