Even though The Crown has drawn to a close, Netflix isn’t done with stirring up royal drama yet. Fresh from depicting the tumultuous last few decades of Royal Family life, the streamer is next serving up a film titled Scoop – one set to re-stage that astonishing Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew from 2019, in which journalist Emily Maitlis questioned him on his connections to Jeffrey Epstein, and allegations of sexual assault of a minor. Yes, it was the one with the bizarre alibi involving Pizza Express in Woking. The film is expected to hit our screens later in 2024 – and Netflix has unveiled a whole load of official images. Take a look here.
That’s Rufus Sewell playing the sweat-free Prince Andrew, with Gillian Anderson as Maitlis. Billie Piper is playing Sam McAlister, the producer who secured the interview (and on whose book, Scoops: Behind The Scenes Of The BBC’s Most Shocking Interview, the film is based). Elsewhere, the cast includes Keeley Hawes, Sex Education’s Connor Swindells, Romola Garai, and The Great star Charity Wakefield. The film is directed by Philip Martin, who directed seven episodes of The Crown (all in the first two seasons); the script comes from Peter Moffat, the man behind acclaimed Bryan Cranston drama Your Honour.
Here’s the official synopsis: “Inspired by real events, Scoop is the inside account of the tenacious journalism that landed an earthshattering interview – Prince Andrew's infamous BBC Newsnight appearance. From the tension of producer Sam McAlister’s high stakes negotiations with Buckingham Palace, all the way to Emily Maitlis’ jaw dropping, forensic showdown with the Prince, Scoop takes us inside the story, with the women who would stop at nothing to get it. To get an interview this big, you have to be bold.”
It’s unknown exactly when Scoop will hit the streamer, but keep an eye out for it arriving later in 2024. Bring your own doughballs.