Women take down an empire in Bombshell, the latest from director Jay Roach.
The empire in question is really a man, one Roger Ailes, a long-time media consultant for Republican nominees and CEO of Fox News. But despite his connections and immense wealth, he was forced to resign from Fox in 2016 after multiple former and current employees accused him of sexual harassment. It was a shocking news story at the time, not because harassment had occurred, but because women of a notably conservative news organization turned on their boss and actually got him removed. Bombshell takes on those women’s stories and the unique obstacles they faced.
There’s a double-layer trick to telling this story, which requires pulling off not just an array of well-known media personalities, but ones that many have strong feelings about both positive and negative. Trying to guide this project through the minefield is Jay Roach, who’s best known for his comedies like Austin Powers and Meet the Parents. He has turned towards political dramas in recent years (Game Change, Trumbo), but this is by far his most high profile foray into the arena.
Helping him out is a trio of top tier actress, with Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron taking on real-life former Fox News anchors Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly, respectively. Margot Robbie is tasked with playing a composite character, which seemingly condenses what many of the young women at Fox News endured. Even Ailes himself is portrayed by a seasoned pro, with John Lithgow taking on the media man himself.
This is, oddly, not playing any festivals before its end-of-year release. That means it’s one of the last big question marks on the calendar, and it has the potential to knock it out of the park or fall flat on its face. Only time will tell.
Bombshell is directed by Jay Roach and stars Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, and Margot Robbie. It will be released in the US on December 20th, 2019 and in the UK on January 24th, 2020. For international release dates, click here.
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