Bernardo Bertolucci Says Ridley Scott Should Be Ashamed For Replacing Kevin Spacey

Italian filmmaker Bernardo Bertolucci said over the weekend that fellow director Ridley Scott  “should be ashamed” for replacing Kevin Spacey in “All the Money in the World,” according to The Hollywood Reporter. Bertolucci also said Scott’s move made him want to cast the disgraced actor, who faces multiple accusations of sexual misconduct.

After the allegations surfaced — including actor Anthony Rapp’s claim that Spacey made advances on him when he was 14 — Scott replaced Spacey with Christopher Plummer in reshoots even though the production had wrapped. For his portrayal of J. Paul Getty in the movie, Plummer, 88, became the oldest man to receive an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor.

Bertolucci, 77, didn’t applaud the cast change.

Deadline reported that during a screening of his restored 1972 film “Last Tango in Paris” at the Bari International Film Festival in Italy, he said that when he learned of the move, he contacted Scott’s frequent editor Pietro Scalia “to tell Scott that he should be ashamed” for caving to industry pressure .

“And then I immediately wanted to make a film with Spacey,” Bertolucci said, according to IndieWire.

At the same time, Bertolucci declared that he fully supports the Me Too movement.

Asked about his remarks, a representative for the 80-year-old Scott, who directed “Thelma & Louise,” emailed, “no comment.” 

Bertolucci recently faced criticism for a resurfaced video in which he said he filmed a rape scene  involving butter with actress Maria Schneider for “Last Tango in Paris” without her consent. Co-star Marlon Brando, whose character sodomizes her in the scene, was also reportedly in on the plan. “Do not believe on social media when they say it was rape. The butter scene was pure simulation,” Bertolucci said at Bari.