John Lithgow to Play Roger Ailes in Fox News Movie
John Lithgow won an Emmy last year for portraying Winston Churchill in Netflix's "The Crown." Now, he'll undertake his next transformation, this time as Roger Ailes.
He'll play the disgraced former head of Fox News in an untitled movie from Annapurna Pictures opposite Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, and Margot Robbie as an associate producer.
The project was written by Charles Randolph ("The Big Short") and will be directed by Jay Roach ("Trumbo").
Ailes was a powerful media executive who launched the careers of Kelly, Carlson, and Sean Hannity, among others. He was a leading figure in Republican circles and helped elect Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush. He resigned in 2016 after numerous sexual harassment allegations came out against him, the most high-profile of which were made by Carlson and Kelly.
Casting will continue on the project, with likely characters including mogul Rupert Murdoch, former anchor Greta Van Susteren, and fired host Bill O'Reilly.