Is this the most controversial movie cast of all time? Italian producer's superhero flick Bunny-Man features three 'cancelled' actors

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The producer behind Enzo Ferrari's biopic - that was one of 2023's most eagerly-anticipated films - has unveiled the cast for his latest project. 

If Ferrari starred critically-acclaimed stars such as Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz, and Shailene Woodley, Andrea Iervolino appears to be going in another direction with his superhero flick 'Bunny-Man'. 

Convicted rapist Mike Tyson, Disney Channel alum-turned-Only Fans star Bella Thorne, and self-proclaimed 'sex addict' James Franco have all been signed by Iervolino, 36, to appear in the movie about a wealthy crime-fighting vigilante who conceals his identity behind a bunny mask.

The trio - among some of Hollywood's most controversial actors - will be joined by Italian actor Michele Morrone, who catapulted to fame with Netflix's steamiest thriller 365 Days. 

The cast is rounded out by Franco Nero, whose portrayal of Django inspired Quentin Tarantino's 2012 blockbuster, and Canadian actress Ana Golja. 

And while Ferrari was fuelled by its star power, it appears Bunny-Man will be dragged by the reputations of its cast members - with the film already being dubbed one of the most 'cancellable' productions in recent times. 

Iervolino announced filming will get underway in Italy next week, which means genre fans will have to wait to see whether Bunny-Man will 'revolutionise the way we think about superheroes' as the producer declared. 

If it is a success, however, it will most definitely test the boundaries of cancel culture - especially considering three of Bunny-Man's six confirmed cast members have been embroiled in serious controversies. 

Mike Tyson's history of 'violence against women'  

Italian producer Andrea Iervolino(right) announced the cast of his upcoming superhero movie Bunny-Man last week. Here, he stands with former professional boxer Mike Tyson, who will appear as himself in the flick

Mike Tyson, now 58, was convicted of rape in 1992 and sentenced to six years in prison 

Since his rape conviction, the American former professional boxer reclaimed his world heavyweight title, appeared in films like The Hangover and Rocky Balboa, and reportedly landed a $20m payday for his recent match against Jake Paul

In 1991, Mike Tyson, then 25 and at the height of his fame, was arrested for attacking 18-year-old beauty pageant contestant Desiree Washington in a hotel room in Indianapolis. 

He was charged with one count of rape, two counts of criminal deviate conduct, and one count of criminal confinement, which reportedly carried a maximum sentence of 63 years. 

Tyson was convicted on the rape charge and sentenced to six years in prison. However, he was released in March 1995, after serving less than three years of his sentence. 

During her testimony, Washington recalled how Tyson pinned her down and raped her, telling the jury: 'He was mean, evil.' 

Tyson, who is required by law to register as a sex offender, has maintained his innocence and claims the encounter with Washington was consensual. 

Tyson later described Washington as a 'lying, reptilian, monstrous lady' and spoke appallingly of his hate towards her in a controversial 2003 interview with American journalist Greta Van Susteren. 

'I just hate her guts. She put me in that state, where I don't know,'' Tyson said. 'I really wish I did now.  But now I really do want to rape her.'

Since his rape conviction, the American former professional boxer reclaimed his world heavyweight title, appeared in films like The Hangover and Rocky Balboa, and reportedly landed a $20m payday for his recent match against Jake Paul. 

He also admitted assaulting his first wife Robin Givens, who described their 12-month marriage as 'torture, pure hell, worse than anything I could possibly imagine'. 

According to The Telegraph, Tyson described the time he hit Givens as 'the best punch I've ever thrown in my entire life'. 

Tyson was also strongly condemned for his stomach-churning remarks about US politician and former Alaska governor Sarah Palin's love life in a 2011 interview with Tucker Carlsen. 

Susteren, who spoke to Tyson in 2003 about his rape conviction, slammed Carlsen for the interview, suggesting the boxer's comments amounted to 'violence against women'. 

Bella Thorne's OnlyFans debacle 

Former Disney Channel star Bella Thorne's decision to start an OnlyFans account in 2020 was highly controversial 

Since breaking away from Disney Channel, the platform that launched hers and Zendaya's career in tandem, Bella Thorne has charted an unusual course within the industry. 

In 2019, she directed the pornographic film Her & Him, The Telegraph reported, before kickstarting her OnlyFans career in the year of the pandemic. 

At the time, Thorne was among the most famous names on the adult content platform that has since found favour with stars like Cardi B, Lily Allen, and Denise Richards.

Within 24 hours of announcing she would be joining OnlyFans, Thorne racked up over $1 million in earnings. Within a week, her income from the platform had doubled - thanks in no small part to her promise of a 'naked' photo for the price of $200. 

However, the photos featured Thorne wearing lingerie - leading to a surge in demand for refund requests. 

Around the same time, OnlyFans updated its guidelines to its daily transaction limits and payment cycles - sparking outrage among users for whom OnlyFans earnings are their primary source of income. 

Jenna Foxx, who joined the site in 2017, told The Los Angeles Times: 'OnlyFans is a full-time job for some of us, mostly the only income some of us have, when she has movies and other outlets to continue to make money.'

'[Thorne] already is rich - on top of the $2 million she made. She didn't hurt anyone but the sex community and hasn't spoken out about it.  That's why we are not okay with what happened.'

A representative for OnlyFans later confirmed changes to its transaction limits 'are not based on any one user' while Thorne apologised in a series of tweets - saying she intended to normalize sex work, not financially harm sex workers.

This is not 27-year-old Thorne's first run-in with controversy; in 2019, she was accused of 'glamourising domestic violence' with her Halloween costume that year. 

James Franco's sex abuse lawsuit 

In 2019, two women sued Franco for 'widespread inappropriate and sexually charged behaviour towards female students'

While Franco's lawyers branded their allegations as 'false and inflammatory' in a counter-filing, the actor settled the lawsuit for $2.2 million in February 2021

Once a bankable comedy star, James Franco's Hollywood career - and his friendship with Seth Rogen - was derailed in 2019 when he was sued for sexual misconduct. 

But the floodgate of allegations against the Spider-Man actor first opened in 2018, when Franco accepted a Golden Globe for the film The Disaster Artist while wearing a pin for Time's Up - an initiative against sexual harassment in the workplace. 

Several X (then called Twitter) users called Franco out for inappropriate behaviour before five women went on record for a story published by The Los Angeles Times. 

Their complaints centred around their time at Franco's acting schools in New York and Los Angeles, as well as a $750 master class reportedly called Sex Scenes. 

One of the women, Katie Ryan said Franco would 'always make everybody think there were possible roles on the table if we were to perform sexual acts or take off our shirts'. 

Another one of Franco's students Sarah Tither-Kaplan - who took his Sex Scenes Class - recounted how Franco simulated oral sex without protection on her and other actresses while filming a nude orgy scene.  

A third shared that Franco's acting classes at his alma mater, Playouse West in North Hollywood, would often go beyond what was expected or appropriate. 

At the time, Franco's lawyers categorically denied the allegations, highlighting a statement the actor made during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. 

He said: 'The things that I've heard that were on Twitter are not accurate, but I completely support people coming out and being able to have a voice because they didn't have a voice for so long.

'I don't want to shut them down in any way. I think it's a good thing, and I support it.' 

In 2019, Tither-Kaplan and Toni Gaal, another Studio 4 student who did not speak to the LA Times, sued Franco for 'widespread inappropriate and sexually charged behaviour towards female students' in a lawsuit. 

While Franco's lawyers branded their allegations as 'false and inflammatory' in a counter-filing, the actor settled the lawsuit for $2.2 million in February 2021. 

In December 2021, Franco admitted his 'sex addiction' caused him to become 'completely blind to power dynamics' while admitting he did sleep with students at his acting school, during a podcast appearance.