Now, the two women who convinced Prince Andrew to talk to camera about his friendship and to explain his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein are competing for filming these behind-the-scenes events.
Deadline previously exclusively announced that Sam McAlister, the former Newsnight interviews producer, had sold the screen rights of her book, Scoops, which explained how Prince Andrew’s chat and other celebrated TV encounters were secured and managed.
The time has come to TimesAccording to reports, Emily Maitlis (the interviewer who won plaudits because of the way she conducted the Prince’s interview) has partnered up with Blueprint Pictures to bring this 2019 interview to life as a scripted drama.
Blueprint was previously created A very English Scandalstarring Hugh Grant as shamed British MP Jeremy Thorpe A very British ScandalThe film starred Claire Foy as Duchess of Argyll. The TimesIt will be available on a streaming platform as a three-parter. A BAFTA-winning writer is already attached.
It was reported last week that the company is also planning to make a dramatic adaptation of the High Court libel case between two footballers’ wives, Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy.
Prince Andrew was forced to retreat from public life in the fallout from the 2019 interview, which saw him fail to apologise for his friendship with Epstein, fail to show compassion for Epstein’s victims and variously refute the claims made against him – by revealing he had been in a Pizza Express on the night he was alleged to be in a London nightclub with Epstein’s Virginia Guiffre, and that he had a condition which meant he was unable to sweat, as was also alleged.
Hugh Grant was mentioned in context of both productions, but no casting has been announced.