Ridley Scott wasn’t keen to direct ‘All the Money in the World’

Los Angeles, Dec 29 (IANS) Filmmaker Ridley Scott says he wasn't "particularly interested" in helming "All The Money In The World", which revolves around oil tycoon J. Paul Getty.

"The word Getty conjured up a specific memory for me, I of course knew who he was and was familiar with the incident and I wasn't particularly interested. But within a few lines and after meeting with Dan (Friedkin) and Bradley (Thomas), I knew I was in good hands," Scott said in a statement.

"All The Money In The World" follows Getty's grandson John Paul Getty III, who was kidnapped by an organised crime regime, and his mother Gail's (Michelle Williams) attempts to convince his wealthy grandfather to pay the ransom. The film, brought to India by PVR Pictures, will release in the country on January 5.

"A great script like this is the jewel in the crown and it's the hardest part. When I read it, I thought 'wow'. The material and the script were great and I absolutely wanted to make this movie," Scott added.

Talking about J. Paul Getty, Scott said: "He was a brilliant man, but all that fell away when he was asked how much he would pay for his grandson and he said 'Nothing'. Everyone was shocked to the core."

The film is also in the news for a last minute replacement and re-shoot. Actor Christopher Plummer replaced actor Kevin Spacey at the eleventh hour, following sexual harassment accusations against Spacey.

It was announced in November that 58-year-old Spacey would be cut out of Scott's biopic, which would have seen him take on the role of the oil tycoon. The decision was made after the actor faced a slew of sexual assault allegations. Plummer re-shot all the scenes already filmed by Spacey.