This is the brilliant cast for the Prince Andrew drama, Scoop
Rufus Sewell, who played Jasper Bloom in ‘The Holiday,’ will take on the controversial Prince, Gillian Anderson will play Emily Maitlis and more.
By Dani Maher and Hayley Peppin
A NEW NETFLIX FILM delving into the now-infamous interview the BBC’s current affairs programme Newsnight secured with Prince Andrew is in the works.
According to Deadline, the film is adapted from Scoops: Behind the Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews, a book written by former Newsnight producer Sam McAlister, who herself was responsible for arranging the 2019 interview with Prince Andrew. For years, the Duke of York had been plagued by rumours regarding his close friendship with convicted paedophile and billionaire, the late Jeffrey Epstein.
Since the film was announced in July, 2022, many have speculated who will take on the most controversial member of the British royal family. But we now know the full cast — and it couldn’t be more brilliant. Here’s everything we know about the much-anticipated biopic, Scoop.
What is Scoop about?
The Netflix film, which will tell the story of how the interview came to be, is being written by Peter Moffat, who worked on the Bryan Cranston series Your Honor and the 2004 film Hawking. It’ll closely dramatise the 49-minute Newsnight special, which aired on the BBC back in November 2019, and how the news team secured the booking.
Scoop will give viewers “the inside track on the women that broke through the Buckingham Palace establishment to secure the scoop of the decade that led to the catastrophic fall from grace of the queen’s ‘favorite son,'” the film’s logline says.
“From navigating Palace vetoes, to breaking through to Prince Andrew’s inner circle, the high stakes negotiations and intensity of rehearsal — to the jaw dropping interview itself.”
During the interview conducted by Emily Maitlis, Prince Andrew denied accusations that he had sex with then 17-year-old Virginia Roberts-Giuffre, claiming that he had “no recollection of ever meeting.” He went on to say that Giuffre’s stories of him sweating profusely during their time together also had to be incorrect as he has “a peculiar medical condition which is that I don’t sweat…it was almost impossible for me to sweat.” He furthermore was criticised widely for his lack of remorse for Epstein’s victims, and just three days later, announced that he was “stepping back” from royal duties.
Despite the fact that he has never been charged and has constantly denied any accusations of wrongdoing, the interview, originally intended to clear his name, has become a permanent stain on Prince Andrew’s — and the Royal Family’s — reputation.
Related: Prince Andrew settles with accuser Virginia Giuffre and will donate to a charity supporting victims
Who stars in Scoop?
In a nutshell, Scoop is perfectly cast. While early rumours tipped Hugh Grant to play Prince Andrew, Netflix revealed Rufus Sewell — famed for playing the villains” in hit films like The Holiday, A Knight’s Tale, The Legend of Zorro and more — will be getting sweaty palms as Prince Andrew. Gillian Anderson is set to star as BBC journalist Emily Maitlis (yes, fantastic), Keeley Hawes as Amanda Thirsk — the former private secretary to Prince Andrew — and Billie Piper as Sam McAlister, who negotiated and secured the booking.
Of the casting, McAlister herself said she was elated Billie Piper has been chosen to play her.
“It is beyond my wildest dreams, especially as a first-time writer, to end up working with this extraordinary cast, Netflix and the amazing teams at The Lighthouse and Voltage.
“Watching Billie Piper, one of my favourite actresses, play ‘me’ will be a pinch myself moment and I’m truly thrilled to be involved in this film.”
Directed by Emmy and BAFTA winner Philip Martin, the filmmaker likened the film as a backstage pass to both Buckingham Palace and the BBC, as the two institutions clash over the story of a lifetime.
“I want to put the audience inside the breathtaking sequence of events that led to the interview with Prince Andrew — to tell a story about a search for answers, in a world of speculation and varying recollections,” Martin told Netflix. “It’s a film about power, privilege and differing perspectives and how — whether in glittering palaces or high-tech newsrooms — we judge what’s true.”
When is Scoop being released?
While production is in very early days, we’re crossing our fingers Netflix releases Scoop by end of the year. No doubt we’ll all be tuning in like we did with the original interview.
