Netflix has just announced that Prince Andrew’s catastrophic 2019 Newsnight interview will be adapted into a feature film, Scoop.
The infamous interview with Emily Maitlis saw the disgraced royal attempt to clear his name following allegations of sexual assault and associations with convicted rapist Jeffrey Epstein. The interview shocked the nation as Andrew clumsily defended his friendship with Epstein, which he maintained following his convictions, and failed to show sympathy for the abuse victims.
The adaptation will see Rufus Sewell play the prince, Gillian Anderson as Maitlis, Billie Piper as TV producer Sam McAlister, and Keeley Hawes as Andrew’s former private secretary, Amanda Thirsk. The film will be adapted from McAlister’s book, Scoops: Behind The Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews, in which she detailed what went down behind the scenes of Andrew’s interview.
Following the broadcast, the prince was banned from royal public events, apart from private gatherings, such as Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. He was also stripped of his title’ His Royal Highness’ and many other patronages.
Scoop will be directed by Philip Martin, who has previously directed episodes of The Crown. The logline reads, “The inside track of the women that broke through the Buckingham Palace establishment to secure the scoop of the decade that led to the catastrophic fall from grace of The Queen’s ‘Favourite son’. From navigating Palace vetoes, to breaking through to Prince Andrew’s inner circle, the high stakes negotiations and intensity of rehearsal – to the jaw-dropping interview itself.”
Via Variety, McAlister has shared, “It is beyond my wildest dreams, especially as a first time writer, to end up working with this extraordinary cast, Netflix, and the amazing teams at The Lighthouse and Voltage. Watching Billie Piper, one of my favourite actresses, play ‘me’ will be a pinch-myself moment and I’m truly thrilled to be involved in this film.”
Martin added, “I’m thrilled to be directing this film for Netflix and – together with an extraordinary cast – to be bringing Sam McAlister’s revelatory insider’s account to the screen. Uptempo, immersive and cinematic, I want to put the audience inside the breath-taking sequence of events that led to the interview with Prince Andrew – to tell a story about a search for answers, in a world of speculation and varying recollections. It’s a film about power, privilege and differing perspectives and how – whether in glittering palaces or hi-tech newsrooms – we judge what’s true.”
