Charles Randolph, co-writer of 2015’s The Big Short, is writing a film chronicling famous Fox News chairman Roger Ailes and his step down as a result of several sexual harassment allegations. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Annapurna Pictures nabbed the rights to his pitch and are moving forward on production.
The film will focus on Megyn Kelly and the women (including former news anchor Gretchen Carlson) whose accusations brought down the man once considered the most powerful news chairman in media as well as his wife, Elizabeth Tilson, who supported him.
Kelly, who now is the host of Fox News’ The Kelly File, started at the network in 2004. This past summer she revealed that she had been a victim of Ailes’ sexual harassment, including one incident in which he tried to grab her repeatedly and kiss her on the lips, a story which Kelly goes into detail in her recently released novel Settle for More. Kelly’s accusations came shortly after similar claims from former anchor Carlson and led to Ailes stepping down from his position at the network – his lawyer, Susan Estrich publicly denied the charge, however.
Some distributors were reportedly gun-shy to take the project, as there are no life rights attached. The project will be built on information within the public domain, Kelly’s continued testimonies on the subject. Just this past week at THR’s Women in Entertainment event, she expressed: “The women of Fox News who, with their stiletto shoes and nerves of steel, formed an underground army of sorts, and at great risk to their livelihoods, brought down a very powerful serial sexual harasser.”
There is also currently a television series in the works with Blumhouse Television based on the novel The Loudest Voice in the Room by journalist Gabriel Sherman (national affairs editor at New York Magazine) who chronicled Ailes’ resignation last summer.
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