Paul Schrader Plans to Direct Kevin Spacey in A Frank Sinatra Biopic

Most notable, of all of Paul Schrader’s recent anti-PC rants, is his defense of Kevin Spacey, one of the key figures in the #MeToo movement, and who in July was cleared of sexually assaulting four men following a trial in London.

Schrader has defended Spacey many times in the past, which caused some pushback, but he still remains firm in his belief that the actor should not be blacklisted from Hollywood. In a new interview with Variety, Schrader mentions that he’s working on a Frank Sinatra biopic which would star Spacey as Ol’ Blue Eyes.

According to Schrader, the two have spoken about collaborating on a potential film about late-period Sinatra. Schrader says. “He’s reading a book on how Charlie Chaplin was canceled.”: “I would not use Kevin if he had been convicted. But he was not convicted.”

Apparently, Schrader and Spacey only recently started talking again, for the first time in years. Schrader believes it’s “time to bring him in from the cold.”

Cancel Culture won’t let him go […] Kevin Spacey is a great actor. He won two Oscars. He was found not guilty. Why would I not work with him?

If this Sinatra biopic does come to fruition then it could potentially collide with Martin Scorsese’s own take on the legendary crooner. However, it does sound like both films would not be covering the same time span of Sinatra’s life. Scorsese’s film would take place in the ‘40s and ‘50s. Schrader’s would be set many decades later.

For now, Spacey appears to have emerged from his legal woes unscathed. He’s won two separate cases against him, but nobody wants to hire him in Hollywood. His name has been tarnished. It’s led to the actor now starring in these micro-budget indies, such as “Peter Five Eight,” and “Control.”

Back in 2018, Schrader mentioned he had read a script, and that it was clear in his mind that Spacey should be cast as the lead. However, the producer of the film shot down that idea, telling Schrader that hiring the actor was “not possible.”

Schrader then went on to comment, “I believe there are crimes in life but no crimes in art. Spacey should be punished for any crimes his actual person created. But not for art. All art is a crime. Punishing him as an artist only diminishes art. Put Celine in jail, put Pound in jail, punish Wilde and Bruce if you must, but do not censor their art.”