Roger Ailes Movie No Longer In The Works At Annapurna; Others Circling To Resuscitate Project

Jay Roach’s Roger Ailes movie starring John Lithgow as the disgraced Fox News Channel boss is no longer going forward at Annapurna; this is days before its production start, Deadline has confirmed.

Word is the production cost of $35M was soaring upwards from that point and for this film to be realized in the way that the filmmakers want it, they’re now considering other distributors including Amblin, Focus Features and co-financier Participant Media. Bron Studios continues to stay aboard as co-financier.

In the wake of the news, Bron Studios released the statement, “BRON Studios is thrilled to be producing and co-financing Fair and Balanced.  We love the project, filmmakers and cast and look forward to supporting their vision.” Fair and Balanced is the working title of the movie.

The project written by The Big Short Oscar-winning screenwriter Charles Randolph was exploding into a who-who’s all-star ensemble. Yesterday it was announced that Malcolm McDowell was boarding to play News Corp Chairman Rupert Murdoch. Charlize Theron is attached to play Megyn Kelly, Margot Robbie is Kayla Pospisil, and Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, the FNC anchor who sued Ailes for sexual harassment two years ago. Allison Janney and Kate McKinnon were also announced to star in the project.

The Ailes movie centers around a group of female employees and correspondents who decide they’ve had enough with the sexist FNC culture and battle against their boss. Robbie’s character is to play a fictional Fox News producer.

Most of Roach’s modern day politically-themed feature dramas, with the exception of Trumbo which had a theatrical release, have previously played on HBO, i.e. the Golden Globe-winning 2008 Recount about the 2000 Presidential election Florida recount and the five-time Emmy winning, three-time Golden Globe winning Game Change about when Senator John McCain’s ambitious selection of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Showtime is in the middle of developing a mini-series about Ailes and the alleged sexist work environment at FNC.