The BBC interview in which Prince Andrew first commented on Jeffrey Epstein in November 2019 was intended to be a liberation. Instead, it was a disaster for the Windsor son. He dismantled himself in 49 minutes. For King Charles III. the film comes at the wrong time.
London – The coronation of King Charles III. (74) is pending. Since the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II (96, † 2022), he has been busy standing up to opponents of the monarchy and maintaining his position among the people. The fact that Prince Andrews (62), of all people, is being filmed on the eve of his royal resignation is just as harmful to him as the scandal royal charge before his mother’s platinum anniversary. The full-blooded diplomat that she was, the dearly bought settlement allowed the abuse lawsuit to grow grass just in time.
The film draws attention to Prince Andrew’s reasons for stepping down
King Charles must have dropped his teaspoon when the four main actors who will star in the Netflix film Scoop were revealed. Because the cast of screenwriter Peter Moffat’s upcoming film about Prince Andrew’s conversation with BBC Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis (52) that led to the king’s resignation from his public duties is impressive. Gillian Anderson (54) and Rufus Sewell (55) play the leading roles.
“Very excited to get started,” Anderson tweeted happily after the cast was announced. Fellow actor Rufus Sewell is known for his roles in The Illusionist, A Knight’s Tale and The Man in the High Castle. Keeley Hawes, 46, will play Amanda Thirsk, then Prince Andrew’s private secretary, while Billie Piper Sam, 40, will play McAlister, the producer who brokered Andrew’s booking.
Netflix production Scoop
Philip Martin (70), a British television director and screenwriter who worked on The Crown, will direct the project.
Netflix hasn’t confirmed a Scoop release date yet. However, since filming for the feature film begins in February 2023, it is expected to be released on the streaming service sometime in 2024.
Scoop is an adaptation of McAlister’s book Scoops: Behind The Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews, in which she details what happened behind the scenes of the interview, which according to variety.com widely regarded as the final nail in the coffin of Andrew’s public role.
Prince Andrew has denied all allegations and has always maintained his innocence
“How did he think it was a good idea to do a big, long interview with Emily Maitlis on the BBC?” explains Peter Moffat to the portal Deadline about his motivation for the screenplay. “Why did he agree to do it?” he asks. During the 49 minutes, Andrew never managed to do the obvious thing: to express his horror at the case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein (66, † 2019) and the fate of allegedly abused Virginia Giuffre (39), who at 17 was a was classified as a minor. Shame or shock: none.
“I want to immerse the audience in the breathtaking sequence of events that led to the interview with Prince Andrew – to tell a story about finding answers in a world of speculation and mixed memories,” Martin told Netflix. “It’s a film about power, privilege and different perspectives and how we – whether in glittering palaces or high-tech newsrooms – judge what is true.” For King Charles III. Andrew’s disaster could become his disaster. Sources used: people.com, deadline.com, variety.com