Margot Robbie? Nicole Kidman? Charlize Theron? Yes, please and thank you.
Hollywood’s ultimate powerhouse trio have teamed up for explosive new film Bombshell. The upcoming drama is based on the real-life scandal of Roger Ailes who was forced to step down from his 15-year tenure as CEO and chairman of Fox News after more than twenty accounts of workplace harassment were filed against him.
Sexual harassment allegations first came to light in Gabriel Sherman’s 2014 biography The Loudest Voice in the Room where one employee revealed she was offered a pay rise on the basis that she had sex with Roger at his demand.
Other female staff members were encouraged to wear form-fitting clothes and Gretchen Carlson, who is played by Nicole Kidman in the film, filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Ailes in July 2016 for sabotaging her career after refusing his sexual advances. She reveals how she was taken off prime time slots, denied high-profile interviews and suffered a pay cut after retaliating against Ailes’ shocking behaviour. This encouraged over 20 women to share their stories of alleged abuse.
As the true story is adapted for the second time, Nicole and Charlize will play real-life women Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly, while Margot will star as a Fox News worker fictionalised for the film.
In the film’s first full-length trailer, Gretchen, Megyn and Kayla prepare to go to war as they spearhead the revolt against Roger Ailes. “Someone has to speak up, someone has to get mad,” Gretchen proclaims to her on-screen colleagues.
Given the film’s timely exploration of power abuse and toxic male culture, Bombshell has unsurprisingly been tipped for Oscar glory and we are SO here for it. Bring it, ladies.
Bombshell will be released in cinemas on 24 January 2020.
