Kevin Spacey has directed his first feature film in more than 20 years.
Variety understands that the two-time Oscar winning actor — who fell from grace in Hollywood following multiple accusations of sexual misconduct — has directed a supernatural action-thriller in which he stars alongside Dolph Lundgren (“Rocky IV,” The Expendables”), Tyrese Gibson (the “Fast & Furious” franchise, “Morbius”), Brianna Hildebrand (“Deadpool,” “Lucifer”), Disha Patani (“Kalki 2898 AD,” “Bharat”) and Eric Roberts (“Runaway Train,” “The Righteous Gemstones”).
The indie film, which has the working title of “Holiguards,” is planned to be the first in a franchise known as “Statiguards vs. Holiguards” and also stars Harry Goodwins (“The Gentlemen”), Swen Temmel (“The Clean Up Crew”) and Sonia Pim Couling (“Operation Bloodhunt”). It also marks the first feature to be produced by Elledgy Media, owned by Portugal-based Ukrainian entrepreneur Elvira Gavrilova Paterson.
As per the description, “Holiguards” is set against the backdrop of a near-future world fractured by hidden supernatural forces, where two ancient warrior factions — the Holiguards and the Statiguards — wage a secret war for control of humanity’s fate. Amid this conflict, a young woman discovers that she’s the daughter of two rival leaders and could end the conflict. Meanwhile, a Statiguard strategist prepares a catastrophic attack in Paris using a nuclear device and an army of mind-controlled civilians, channeling energy from a cosmic portal to awaken an ancient force known as the Prime.
The film, which has a budget of around $10 million, shot in Mexico last year and is now in post-production. Elledgy Media Group produces “Holiguards” alongside Lado Film. Producers include Paterson, Vadim Vadim Degtyarev and Vitaly Kucherov. The script was written by Sergey Torchilin and Lado Okhotnikov. Variety hears a trailer was being screened to potential interested parties at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.
It was actually in Cannes where Spacey made his boldest return to the limelight since his career nosedived in the wake of the MeToo scandal, and since he was found not guilty of multiple allegations of sexual misconduct in a high-profile court trial in 2023. The actor — whose last trip to the south of France during the festival was in 2016 — hit the carpet at several events, most notably the amfAR gala dinner and also the Better World Fund gala, where he was given a lifetime achievement award and, in a fiery 10-minute speech, took aim at his own blacklisting from Hollywood, declaring that it was “nice to be back.”
“Holiguards” wasn’t the only film of Spacey’s in Cannes. The actor was also in town to help promote the British indie “The Awakening,” a conspiracy action-thriller in which he appears as the head of sinister global cabal that controls the world, which was selling in the market.
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From Variety US