Kevin Spacey Says Netflix Can’t Really Fire Him, Will The Platform Have a Spin-Off With Claire Underwood ?
House of Cards powerhouse Frank Underwood can twist and turn power into his favor, but can the actor who played him do the same?
According to Entrepreneur, Kevin Spacey is still fighting to get his spot on the popular Netflix series. Spacey and his legal team are claiming that the streaming site did not have the right to terminate his contract simply because of Anthony Rapp’s allegations.
The team notes that Netflix’s termination would be illegal, considering their contract did not have a morality clause in it, The Blast reported.
Additionally, the contract stipulated that Spacey can only be suspended or fired from the show if two things happen: he becomes “unavailable” or “incapacitated.”
Though Spacey has been checked into a treatment center in Arizona, this would not constitute to unavailability because he voluntarily went in. There was no medical advice for him to stay at the facility. So, if, for example, Netflix continued to film the next season of House of Cards, he can dismiss himself from treatment and participate in the production.
Netflix responded, saying their termination of Spacey was not connected to the Star Trek star’s accusation. They said that the role of Frank Underwood was not connected to his personal life.
Sources told The Blast that the production has invited the crew members to anonymously submit letters if they were being harassed by Spacey. Several employees have come forward to confirm that the actor has made the work environment “toxic.”
However, Spacey and his legal team are pursuing a legal case against Netflix if they continue the show without him. He said that the actor “will be owed a fortune,” for essentially terminating the contract without cause.
Sources from the production company that owns House of Cards, MRC, also stated that Spacey was not an official employee of the company, so the “employee/company provision does not apply.” MRC also noted that they are prioritizing the safety of their workforce at the moment.
No Francis, it's you that's not enough @POTUS_Underwood #HouseOfCards pic.twitter.com/p7HGW2Fv7k
— Claire Underwood (@FLOTUSUnderwood) April 19, 2015
“While we continue the ongoing investigation into the serious allegations concerning Kevin Spacey’s behavior on the set of ‘HOUSE OF CARDS,’ he has been suspended. As the producer of the show, creating and maintaining a safe working environment for our cast and crew has always been our top priority.”
As for the story, it is high probable for them to continue on with just Robin Wright’s character in hand. It should be the perfect transition since Claire Underwood was elected president during the very last season, while Frank Underwood has been thrown out in the shadow.
Claire’s character has grown over the seasons, and now she can continue to rain terror in Washington with a possible whole new brand of House of Cards.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bUPi86jK_E
[Featured Image by Paul Morigi/Getty Images For Netflix]
