What could have been Kevin Spacey’s great comeback has now turned to dust.

For a while now, writer Paul Schrader had been working on a script for a Frank Sinatra biopic with the House of Cards star in mind, and was glad when the charges against him were dropped, as it meant he could hire him.

However, it now looks like the Frank Sinatra movie won’t be made.

At least not this one in particular. It was the singer’s daughter who stepped in and said she didn’t approve of the project, so Kevin Spacey will have to find another movie to return to Hollywood.

Kevin Spacey Won’t Get To Play Frank Sinatra

A Frank Sinatra biopic was supposedly in the works, with Taxi Driver and Raging Bull writer Paul Schrader as director. The filmmaker, known for his long-time collaboration with Martin Scorsese, was eager to get started on this movie, and he particularly wanted Kevin Spacey to star in it.

He has wanted to work with the House of Cards actor for a long time, and now that he’s been acquitted of the sexual abuse charges against him, Paul Schrader was looking forward to bringing him onto this project.

“I would not use Kevin if he had been convicted. But he was not convicted,” the filmmaker said in response to criticism over his desire to work with the disgraced actor.

However, it seems his long-awaited collaboration will have to wait, as Tina Sinatra, Frank Sinatra’s daughter, who is also an actress and film producer, has pulled the plug on the project.

“We had a script which was great and we were ready to go, but Tina was not keen. We could not get her permission for the music and you can’t do it without that,” Paul Schrader lamented. Despite Tina Sinatra’s refusal, however, he maintains Kevin Spacey was the right choice.

“Tina is protective — very protective — of her father’s image and this was not an altogether flattering portrait of him. I think Kevin would have been good. He was a great Bobby Darin (in Beyond The Sea).”

Celebrities Are Calling For A Kevin Spacey Comeback

Although he won’t be starring in a Frank Sinatra biopic, it seems a Kevin Spacey comeback is only a matter of time, as several celebrities have been calling for the actor to return to Hollywood.

Sharon Stone was one of the most high profile celebrities to speak in his favor. “I can’t wait to see Kevin back at work. He is a genius. He is so elegant and fun, generous to a fault, and knows more about our craft than most of us ever will,” she told The Telegraph. “It’s terrible that they are blaming him for not being able to come to terms with themselves for using him and negotiating with themselves because they didn’t get their secret agendas.”

Liam Neeson, for his part, talked about how much he missed seeing the actor at work. “I was deeply saddened to learn of these accusations against him. Kevin is a good man and a man of character. He’s sensitive, articulate, and non-judgmental, with a terrific sense of humour. He is also one of our finest artists in the theatre and on camera. Personally speaking, our industry needs him and misses him greatly.”