If the subject of pedophiles within the Catholic Church has to make its way into theaters, the absolute opposite of what it should be is a heavy-handed melodramatic farce of reality, and Hollywood has taught us to expect exactly that kind of movie. But actor-writer-director Tom McCarthy might be exactly what this kind of film needs, especially if you’ve ever thought to yourself, “I’d really like a film with the earnest heart of Win Win that has all the rapey discomfort of Sleepers.”
DreamWorks Studios and Participant Media snatched up the rights to McCarthy’s film, Deadline reports, which will be based on the year-long investigation by the Boston Globe into the Church’s cover-up of Massachusetts priests molesting children, which went on for decades. The life rights to the Globe’s “Spotlight Team” of reporters and editors was acquired by Anonymous Content, and the film is supposed to take on a more journalism-focused side of things, approaching All the President’s Men territory.
To further the pseudo-realism that we can expect from the film, look to DreamWorks and Participant’s past projects together, which include Lincoln, The Help, and Bill Condon’s upcoming Wikileaks film The Fifth Estate, which Julian Assange himself wasn’t pleased with. Our guess is, a lot of priests aren’t going to be happy about this film either, nor will the resigned Cardinal Bernard Law.
McCarthy previously worked with Participant on The Visitor, and at some point has an Indian cricket film Million Dollar Arm coming, with Jon Hamm attached. Another guy who can’t seem to do wrong. Unlike some priests.
