Scoop: The Upcoming Film About Prince Andrew’s Newsnight Interview
The story of how BBC Newsnight producers secured the monumental interview with Prince Andrew that took the internet by storm is to be dramatised in an upcoming film: Scoop.
The film will be based on the former Newsnight producer of 12 years Sam McAlister’s book Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews, published yesterday, and will tell the story of how the show secured the bombshell interview. Ms McAlister’s literary agency, United Agents, described the film adaptation as “exciting news”.
Screenwriter Peter Moffat, known for the Netflix drama Your Honor, is to write the screenplay for The Lighthouse, a production company founded two years ago by Hilary Salmon. According to Hollywood news site, Deadline, Hugh Grant is said to be on the wish list of actors to play the Prince. Salmon told Deadline “We have, of course, thoughts,” about actors but as it is still early days that “no one is attached”. Shooting is planned to begin in November.
Moffat said, “The other thing is, ‘why did he agree to do it?’ How was it that he decided it was a good idea to do a great big long interview with Emily Maitlis on the BBC?” and that the behind-the-scenes negotiations will make “very thrilling drama”.
On Prince Andrew’s arrogance, ignorance and charm, he mentioned it “quite often covers up for the bad stuff, that’s what I think”.
When the royal sat down to chat with Emily Maitlis for BBC Newsnight, it shook the nation and the world. He talked about his friendship with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Epstein’s partner Ghislaine Maxwell, who was found guilty of sex trafficking last year, as well as allegations of sexual assault which he denied.
The Duke of York’s interview was regarded by many across the country as a national humiliation, and the calamity was ridiculed online. Andrew’s alibi caused Pizza Express in Woking to be flooded with joke reviews and a torrent of memes about his “peculiar medical condition” which he alleged discredited Virginia Giuffre’s claim that he was sweating “all over”.
The infamous interview stirred up controversy over the Duke’s past conduct, and he later stepped back from royal duties citing that the backlash had become a “major disruption” to the Royal Family. The Queen stripped him of his royal patronages and military titles earlier this year.
The tarnished royal avoided appearing in court in the US over a civil action brought against him by Ms Giuffre. In March, the lawsuit was dismissed after both parties reached a multi-million dollar out-of-court settlement.
