Netflix has fired Frank Langella from its upcoming horror series The Fall of the House of Usher.
The Oscar-nominated actor was the subject of a now-completed misconduct investigation in which his actions were deemed "unacceptable", Deadline reports. As a result, the streaming platform will recast the role of Roderick Usher, and Langella's scenes will be reshot.
The eight-episode show is said to be about halfway through production. Filming will continue with scenes that do not involve the Roderick Usher character until a new actor has been lined up.
According to the same publication, Langella, 84, had been accused of making inappropriate comments to a female co-star on set, as well as other sexual harassment claims.
Based on the short story of the same name by Edgar Allan Poe, The Fall of the House of Usher marks Mike Flanagan's fifth project for Netflix, after Gerald's Game, The Haunting of Hill House, The Haunting of Bly Manor, and Midnight Mass. The filmmaker reunites with several of his favored collaborators on the title, including Carl Lumbly, Katie Parker, Zach Gilford, Robert Longstreet, Annabeth Gish, T-Nia Miller, Samantha Sloyan, Henry Thomas, Carla Gugino, Rahul Kohli, and Kate Siegel.
Igby Rigney, Sauriyan Sapkota, Michael Trucco, Crystal Balint, Kyleigh Curran, Paola Nuñez, Aya Furukawa, Matt Biedel, Daniel Jun, Ruth Codd, Willa Fitzgerald, Malcolm Goodwin, Mary McDonnell, and Star Wars' Mark Hamill also feature.
Given how Flanagan's previous works deviated from the source material, it's uncertain just how closely the miniseries will follow Poe's novel. Published in 1839, it centers on an unnamed narrator, who visits his ailing childhood friend, Roderick Usher. During his stay, Roderick's twin sister suddenly dies. What follows is a tale of melancholy, madness, and mystery, as the narrator tries to decipher what's really going on inside his old acquaintance's spooky home.
There's been no official word yet as to when Netflix will release The Fall of the House of Usher but with filming set to wrap in early June, it's unlikely to be too long of a wait. In the meantime, check out our roundup of the best Netflix shows to watch right now.
