Thor and RRR star Ray Stevenson has nabbed the lead role in 1242: Gateway to the West after Kevin Spacey exited the historical Genghis Khan drama last year amid sexual assault charges in the U.K.
Carlos Alperin of Galloping Entertainment, who will continue selling the global rights to the film at the European Film Market in Berlin, confirmed Stevenson’s casting to The Hollywood Reporter. Directed by Péter Soós, the 1242 cast also includes Eric Roberts, Christopher Lambert, Neil Stuke and Genevieve Florence.
“The film is looking simply EPIC and will be very well positioned due to Ray Stevenson’s amazing role in RRR, as well as the political background of the war between Russia and Ukraine,” Alperin told THR in a statement.
Historically, the Mongols invaded both Ukraine and Russia, as well as Poland, before they marched into Hungary in 1242. Alperin added that 1242 has been shooting in Hungary for 30 days and has another 15 days to complete production, with Stevenson and Roberts having just arrived on set this week.
Spacey was featured on the movie poster for 1242 when it was first shopped to international buyers at Cannes in 2022. At the time, the House of Cards star was looking to resume his acting career following #MeToo sexual misconduct allegations that derailed his TV and film roles.
Spacey was formally charged in May with five counts of sexual assault in the U.K., with the two-time Oscar winner pleading not guilty at London’s Old Bailey in July. The trial is set for June. Also, Spacey in late 2022 was handed an additional seven sexual-offense charges in the U.K., bringing the total to 12.
In October, a U.S. jury sided with Spacey, finding he did not sexually abuse Anthony Rapp, then 14, while both were relatively unknown Broadway actors in 1986.
Alperin added that 1242 won’t be delivered to buyers until December, due to the large number of special visual effects yet to be completed.
