The Harvey Weinstein scandal is far from over, with new allegations still coming to light and police investigations ongoing, but the BBC is already developing a feature-length film about the disgraced Hollywood mogul.
The 90-minute film (working title Weinstein) will be "the definitive documentary" about the whole affair and will bring new information to light, the broadcaster said. As well as investigating how Weinstein was able to abuse his power for so long, it will also delve into Hollywood's sexist and exploitative culture.
The documentary will feature interviews with actresses who have already shared their stories (though we don't yet know who), along with journalists, producers, directors, agents, lawyers and more, some of whom will be speaking publicly about the scandal for the first time, Variety reports.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
The documentary will be directed by Ursula Macfarlane (Charlie Hebdo: Three Days That Shook Paris) and produced by two-time Oscar-winning producer Simon Chinn (Man on Wire and Searching for Sugar Man). Weinstein will be given the chance to take part in the film, but it's unclear whether he's taken up the offer.
The film will air on BBC Two and will take most of 2018 to make – the filmmakers have already discovered new information relating to the scandal – so it's not yet clear when it will be shown. Other films about the scandal may be finished before Weinstein, as there is already at least one more similar project currently being made in Britain.
Patrick Holland, BBC Two's controller, said Macfarlane was "perfectly placed" to make a film about what has proven to be a "watershed moment for the creative industries and for wider society"; while Chinn said it was important the film was being directed by a woman, saying she would "come at the story with a female perspective,” and that she'd be able to relate to many of the victims as, "an incredibly sensitive filmmaker".
Meanwhile, BBC commissioner Tom McDonald said Weinstein would "ask difficult and challenging questions about complicity, the price of silence and the corrosive effects of power."
Read These Next