Kevin Spacey's first film release since a series of high profile sexual assault allegations drew a record low for the actor on its opening weekend, earning just $126 -- or about 13 tickets.
Billionaire Boys Club opened in just 10 cinemas in select U.S. states on Friday after premiering on VOD last month, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film also featured a notable cast, including Ansel Elgort ( Baby Driver ), Taron Egerton ( Kingsman ), Emma Roberts (TV's American Horror Story ), and Jeremy Irvine (War Horse ).
Based on a true story, the film centers around a group of rich young men in early 1980s Los Angeles who launched a Ponzi scheme. Spacey does not have a starring role, playing Beverly Hills high roller Ron Levin.
Fellow actor Anthony Rapp (Star Trek: Discovery) first accused Spacey of sexual assault last October. According to Rapp, a 26-year-old Spacey made a sexual advance toward him when he was only 14.
Several allegations followed Rapp's. Police in London are now investigating at least six sexual assault claims against the actor as of early July. Several producers moved swiftly to cut ties with Spacey, with House of Cards cutting him from the series despite him playing the lead role. Ridley Scott also removed Spacey from his film All the Money in the World , reshooting all of the actor's scenes with Christopher Plummer instead.
Employees who worked on the set of House of Cards also came forward, saying Spacey had made the production a "toxic" environment.
As a result, the fate of Billionaire Boys Club was in question. But Vertical Entertainment, which distributed the film, announced in June that it had decided to release the film on VOD to be followed by a limited release.
— Kevin Spacey (@KevinSpacey) October 30, 2017
"We hope these distressing allegations pertaining to one person's behavior — that were not publicly known when the film was made almost two-and-a-half years ago and from someone who has a small, supporting role in Billionaire Boys Club — does not tarnish the release of the film," the company said at the time.
"In the end, we hope audiences make up their own minds as to the reprehensible allegations of one person's past, but not at the expense of the entire cast and crew present on this film," it added.
Nonetheless, analysts suggest the film may struggle to earn even $1,000 at the box office, making it by far Spacey's worst performing film of his career.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Jason Lemon is a Weekend Editor at Newsweek based in Brooklyn, New York. Prior to taking on the editor role, Jason's reporting focused on ... Read more
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