A Movie Based on the NYT Harvey Weinstein Investigation is in the Works; Will Probably Win Oscars if Only for the Irony

By Kayleigh Donaldson | Film | April 26, 2018 |

By Kayleigh Donaldson | Film | April 26, 2018 |

I’m sure the phrase ‘too soon’ will enter the equation multiple times during discussions of this film, but hey, you can’t deny that it’s one hell of a story. The New York Times’s investigation into producer Harvey Weinstein’s history of sexual harassment and abuse truly changed both the entertainment industry and how our society talks about misogyny. The women who did what journalists have tried to accomplish for years - Jodi Kantor and Meghan Twohey, plus their editor Rebecca Corbett - can safely be credited as game changers.

So, of course someone had to snatch up the movie rights. Deadline reports that Plan B - Brad Pitt’s production company - and Annapurna - the folks behind The Master, Her, and American Hustle - have teamed up for a ‘Spotlight-like treatment’ of how the scandal broke. The latter company previously worked with The Weinstein Company, and that relationship was allegedly tempestuous as all hell.

There’s a good history of journalism movies in Hollywood, even though making exhausted looking people sitting at desks with piles of documents a cinematic experience is easier said than done. This story comes with a more Hollywood-friendly approach, from the obvious villain at the heart of it to the raised stakes, repeated threats made against the journalists, and the celebrities involved, including Ashley Judd. It doesn’t seem like this film will actually include someone playing Weinstein, which I’m rather thankful for. Do we really need reminders of that? Besides, I think Harvey would enjoy that too much. Ronan Farrow, the other Pulitzer Prize winner who helped break the story at the New Yorker, probably won’t appear. He can get his own movie. With Jon Lovett.

Hopefully this can win lots of Oscars, and do so with the sweetest, kindest, most respectful awards campaign ever mounted.

(Image of Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor from Getty Images)