Mike Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher recently hit Netflix, and Bruce Greenwood’s character, Roderick Usher, originally had a different actor. Frank Langella, a veteran stage and film star, was fired from the set due to misconduct allegations.
The 85-year-old Dracula star has been accused of harassment and making inappropriate remarks to a female co-star on the set. In consequence, he was terminated from the series and was replaced by Greenwood.
Bruce Greenwood Replaced Frank Langella After Allegations Of Misconduct
Frank Langella’s case was investigated following allegations of unacceptable behavior on the set of The Fall of the House of Usher. The incident occurred halfway through production, resulting in a rigorous reshoot for all of Langella’s scenes.
A source who was present on the set told TMZ:
“In the context of his performance, possibly during rehearsal, he touched the leg of a female co-star, and further drew attention to the action when he jokingly said something like, ‘Did you like that?’”
Bruce Greenwood, who is known for his role in Star Trek, took over the role of Roderick Usher. This is not the first time he and director Mike Flanagan have worked together as they both previously collaborated on Netflix’s Gerald’s Game.
The eight-episode series is based on Edgar Allan Poe’s short story of the same title, which tells an epic tale of horror, greed, and tragedy. It also contains themes of madness and family dynasty. Another adaptation of this story was the 1960s Roger Corman movie entitled House of Usher starring Vincent Price.
Flanagan will helm the first four episodes, while director and cinematographer Michael Fimognari will take care of the remaining four chapters. The Fall of the House of Usher also stars Carla Gugino, Henry Thomas, Rahul Kohli, Carl Lumbly, Mary McDonnell, Kate Siegal, Willa Fitzgerald, and Mark Hamill.
What To Expect From Mike Flanagan’s The Fall of the House of Usher?
Mike Flanagan has transformed into an underrated horror filmmaker who continues to astonish and terrify fans with his masterful storytelling and complex use of psychological elements. Carla Gugino, who has worked with Flanagan before, shared what fans can expect from the series and her character via IGN:
“It’s batsh*t crazy in the best possible way. It has quite a lot of very dark humor, but also really touches the soul. There is a fantastical supernatural element to the story, and she is the manifestation of that. You could say she’s the executor of fate or the executor of karma.”
The Fall of the House of Usher is now streaming on Netflix.
