One of the Most Anticipated Movies of 2024 Lands on Netflix This Friday

Summary

• As early as this Friday, a new British biographical drama will be released on Netflix.
• It will unfold around the BBC's infamous 2019 interview with Prince Andrew.
• The film features a well-known British ensemble cast.

In November 2019, the BBC news and current affairs show Newsnight aired an episode titled Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal. It was an interview conducted by journalist and documentary filmmaker Emily Maitlis with none other than Prince Andrew, Duke of York, the younger brother of the current King Charles III. The subject of the interview was the Duke's involvement in a sex trafficking ring of minors run by Epstein in the 90's and 00's.

The episode was as scandalous as it was influential, not only revealing what some members of the British royal family are capable of, but also confirming rather than denying all the allegations made by the victims against both Epstein and Prince Andrew — ironically, the Duke himself noted that the interview went very well.

But this candid conversation between Maitlis and Prince Andrew became not only a precedent for further investigation, but also an example of the impossible being accomplished, as a person who was not easily accessible was booked.

BBC Newsnight producer Sam McAlister was largely responsible for booking and arranging the interview. She later wrote an autobiographical book about these events called Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC's Most Shocking Interviews. And now a film dramatization of these events is being prepared for release on Netflix.

A Frank Biographical Drama

The infamous interview, in which Prince Andrew's demeanor was incredibly cocky, self-absorbed and arrogant, revealed a lot of gruesome truths, as all of his excuses for the allegations were later either refuted or highly questioned.

Moreover, despite his promises to cooperate with the US Attorney's Office and the FBI, the only thing that followed was his resignation from all of his public roles, as well as the payment of a £12 million settlement to the victims.

It all goes to show how unassailable the British royal family is, and no matter what horrors they commit, they often go unpunished.

However, without the work of the BBC journalists, the truth would have been hidden forever by the Windsors. So Sam McAlister's production of this interview is an incredible feat in itself, more than worthy of a film adaptation. The new movie, called Scoop like the original book, will be released on Netflix this Friday.

The adaptation of McAlister's book was written by screenwriter Peter Moffat and directed by Philip Martin. Scoop will focus on the collaboration between Sam McAlister and Emily Maitlis, as well as other BBC journalists, and will tell the behind-the-scenes story of the infamous interview, from how McAlister managed to secure such a potentially damaging interview for the royal family's reputation, to the broadcast itself.

Moreover, according to Moffat himself, much of the focus of the upcoming film will be on exploring why Prince Andrew agreed to this interview in the first place: was he so confident that his arguments could not be countered, or was it just an oversight on the part of his PR advisors?

The Movie Features Stars of British Cinema

Special mention should be made of the all-star cast. McAlister was played by Billie Piper, widely known for her role as Rose in Doctor Who, Maitlis was played by the incomparable Gillian Anderson, and the role of Prince Andrew was played by Rufus Sewell, now known for his roles in the American series The Man in the High Castle and The Diplomat.

The upcoming film also stars Keeley Hawes, Connor Swindells, Charity Wakefield, Romola Garai and Lia Williams.

Scoop will be available to stream on Netflix on April 5, 2024.