An impressive all-star-led film about Roger Ailes, former chairman and CEO of Fox News, has been in development for a few months now, and in recent weeks it has been gearing up for the start of production. However, in a surprising turn of events, the film will now likely face delays, given that Annapurna Pictures has dropped the title.
The untitled Roger Ailes project, starring John Lithgow, Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie, is currently without a studio, according to The Hollywood Reporter - which cites that the move may have been made because of the film's $35 million budget. That means that it is currently homeless, but that state may not last long. Filling the vacuum, BRON Studios, which has produced titles including Fences, The Birth of a Nation, and A Simple Favor, has signed on to co-finance the production, and Focus Features, Amblin and Participant Media are reportedly in talks to acquire the film.
The project about Fox News stars John Lithgow as the late Roger Ailes, who was tapped by media mogul Rupert Murdoch in 1996 to helm Fox News and Television. The executive was fired in 2016 by Murdoch after women, including television hosts Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly, accused him of sexual misconduct in the workplace. Malcolm McDowell signed on to play Murdoch yesterday and Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron have signed on to play Carlson and Kelly, respectively.
Margot Robbie is also set to star in the upcoming film as Kayla Pospisil, a fictional Fox associate producer. The film is being helmed by the director behind Trumbo, Austin Powers and Meet the Parents, Jay Roach, and the screenplay writer of The Big Short, Charles Randolph, is penning the script. Also featured in the star-studded main cast is Saturday Night Live's Kate McKinnon.
The film's female stars have each been starring in one impressive role after the other in recent years, and this project would surely continue the trend. Kidman is riding high this year thanks to her Golden Globe win earlier this year for Big Little Lies, and could be an Oscar contender with her mesmerizing transformation in the upcoming Destroyer. Robbie has disappeared in her recent roles as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad, and pro ice skater Tonya Harding in I, Tonya, and will soon be seen in Mary Queen of Scots and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Theron, meanwhile, demonstrated her action chops in Atomic Blonde, and earlier this year earned rave reviews for her turn in Tully.
The Fox News project starring a talented ensemble cast currently does not have a release date, but that should change when the film finds a new production company/distributor. We'll continue to follow the development of this project as it continues.
