A docuseries featuring Kevin Spacey, Spacey Unmasked, has been acquired by Warner Bros. Discovery, and the first trailer has been revealed. The two-part series was first commissioned by Channel 4 in 2022, and it will include interviews with multiple men who, for the first time, speak about their experiences with the actor. These men aren’t connected to the 2023 U.K. trial against the actor, where Spacey was found not guilty on all counts of sexual assault. Spacey Unmasked will chronicle Spacey’s career, starting with his childhood, early Broadway success, and his rise to fame and ending with his fall.
According to Variety, the docuseries has finally been completed and has been acquired by Warner Bros. Discovery. On top of that, the first trailer has been released. See the trailer below:
Spacey Unmasked is set to release in the U.K. on May 6 and 7, though U.S. premiere dates have not yet been announced. The trailer is short, but it promises an in-depth look at the acclaimed actor’s before-lauded career and his public fall.
Spacey Unmasked may be one of Max’s riskiest documentaries. Chronicling the actor’s career and the allegations held against him will be no easy task. In 2017, Star Trek: Discovery‘s Anthony Rapp claimed that Spacey made a sexual advance towards him in 1986, when Rapp was only fourteen-years-old. That was the catalyst for a wave of accusations against the actor. Ultimately, this would lead to fifteen people coming forward with stories of sexual abuse involving Spacey, including eight people who worked on House of Cards.
The new docuseries may rival Max’s acclaimed The Jinx: The Life and Deaths of Robert Hurst. The documentary, which first aired in 2015, followed the New York real estate heir, who was convicted for the murder of Susan Berman. The docuseries gained worldwide exposure and fame when Durst was arrested on first-degree murder charges a day before the finale aired. It was thanks to this acclaim that HBO would announce development on The Jinx — Part Two, which premiered in April 2024.
While the series of events might not be a different kind of dramatic as those regarding The Jinx, Spacey Unmasked has the potential to be just as captivating, if not more so. The docuseries will chronicle the rise and fall of Spacey, someone who used to be one of Hollywood’s most distinguished actors, so it may see a similar reception. However, with it also coming much closer to the events at the crux of its story, it will be interesting to see if audiences ultimately find themselves unready to explore Spacey’s life.
Source: Variety, Channel 4