Have you wanted to see Russell Crowe take on a U.S. television series? Well, your wish has been granted. It is all happening via a new Showtime miniseries. Crowe has signed on to make the move courtesy of a show that will chronicle the life of Fox News' founder, Roger Ailes. Here is what you need to know.
Russell Crowe will make his U.S. television debut in what is slated as a limited series comprised of eight episodes. The upcoming show, which is currently untitled, is based on the Gabriel Sherman bestseller The Loudest Voice in the Room. And the series boasts a pretty impressive writing credit: Tom McCarthy.
Tom McCarthy, who is likely best known as the Oscar-winning director and co-screenwriter of the 2015 Best Picture winner Spotlight, will executive produce the series as well as contribute as a writer.
The limited series will focus on the last decade of Roger Ailes' life, replete with flashbacks that will usher viewers back to significant events in the media mogul's life. The events the show is set to cover include Ailes' first meeting with Richard Nixon as well as the allegations of sexual harassment that led to him resigning from Fox News in 2016. Ailes died in 2017 at the age of 77.
No stranger to playing real-life figures on the silver screen, Russell Crowe continues the trend with his first small screen project for the U.S. The casting of the Gladiator star is of significant interest. Considering Crowe's awards credentials, Showtime may be settling in for a huge awards season following the limited series' debut. It all depends on how the finished product comes together though. Given its choice of leading man and Tom McCarthy's involvement, it could be huge.
The casting of Russell Crowe also brings up interesting questions pertaining to whether the actor will go out of his way to alter his appearance for the role. Crowe is currently 54 years old, and the show's description points to him playing Roger Ailes through the last decade of his life.
That would put Russell Crowe portraying Roger Ailes throughout the latter's 60s. Will Crowe wear age-progressing make-up? It seems likely. Armed with a physical transformation and what should be an engaging script, Crowe could be tough to beat in the Best Lead Actor in a Limited Series category.
A premiere date for Russell Crowe's Roger Ailes series has not been set yet, so stay tuned. As with most upcoming releases, you can always hope for it to arrive sooner rather than later. For new and returning television shows you can watch on Showtime and elsewhere, check out CinemaBlend's guide to TV's summer premieres.
