Actress Charlize Theron will portray former Fox News and current NBC host Megyn Kelly in an upcoming film about the sexual harassment controversy surrounding Fox News Chairman Roger Ailes.
The film, produced and financed by Annapurna, who is also in the process of creating a biopic on former Vice President Dick Cheney, will be directed by Jay Roach.
The movie will reportedly focus on Kelly’s ascension up the ladder at Fox News. From her beginnings as a legal contributor, to anchoring Fox News programs to hosting her own show, The Kelly File. Director Roach is expected to pay particular attention to Fox News’ reported attempts to get Kelly to defend Ailes from the sexual harassment charges, something Kelly refused to do.
According to the Hollywood Reporter:
Ailes ran Fox News and helped launch the careers of Kelly, Sean Hannity and Gretchen Carlson with his powerful channel. He also was also a prominent figure in Republican circles who helped elect presidents Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George Bush.
Ailes was forced to resign in 2016 when a host of accusations of sexual misconduct surfaced, with Carlson and Kelly’s the most high-profile, and which contributed to his exit from the network.
The project is described as an ensemble pic, with Ailes and others who were involved at Fox News during his reign said to be major players in the piece. Characters included are likely to be Carlson, former anchor Greta Van Susteren, media mogul Rupert Murdoch and fired host Bill O’Reilly.
Ailes, a veteran television producer and political strategist, became the founding CEO of Fox News in October 1996 until he resigned in July 2016 amid a series of sexual harassment allegations. The cable network enjoyed immense popularity and success under his leadership. Ailes passed away last May.
The film is currently in development, though it remains untitled.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
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