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The Harvey Weinstein Scandal Is Becoming A Movie
Six months after The New York Times detailed sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein, the Hollywood scandal is now in the process of becoming a movie. The movie mogul was blacklisted from the film industry, and now Annapurna Pictures and Plan B Entertainment will release a movie detailing the events.
Following the allegations made against film producer Harvey Weinstein, two New York Times reporters, Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, covered the intimate details regarding the scandal. In fact, their investigative story titled “Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades” singlehandedly prompted the firing of Weinstein from his own company, as well as his removal from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Now, Annapurna Pictures and Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment will adapt the story, not focusing on Weinstein himself, but on Kantor and Twohey, who dealt with threats and intimidation on their pursuit to expose the truth.
According to THR, the film will center around Kantor and Twohey’s journey tracing the entire scandal, beginning with the moment they first started investigating the claims of sexual abuse to the jarring aftershock that shook the entire industry. The two journalists received the Pulitzer Prize for their work, which they shared with Mia Farrow’s son Ronan Farrow, who also documented the scandal via The New Yorker. And though there are no specific details regarding talent behind or in front of the camera, films based around real-life investigative journalists, like All the President’s Men and Spotlight (which won Best Motion Picture of the Year at the 2016 Academy Awards), are being used as inspiration.
Kantor, Twohey, and Farrow’s work was so explosive that it didn’t just expose Weinstein, but opened the floodgates for countless other sexual abuse allegations, helping other victims feel as though they had a voice – and more importantly, the support – to accuse their abusers. As a result, major Hollywood staples like Kevin Spacey, Louis C.K., Ben Affleck, and Stan Lee have been called out for the alleged actions, resulting in the creation of strict zero-tolerance policies regarding sexual misconduct.
While the concept of profiting off of tragedies or personal traumas might not seem justifiable or morally sound, the angle which Annapurna and Plan B is taking with this film feels more like a celebration of triumphant underdogs than anything else. Had the focus been on Weinstein himself, this would be a different story altogether – which would explain why the two studios were careful to specify how they plan to angle the narrative. If nothing else, the film might actually help further promote the zero-tolerance policy for sexual misconduct, not only in Hollywood, but everywhere.
