Coming off her Oscar-winning film “Promising Young Woman,” for which she was nominated for Best Actress, Carey Mulligan has landed another fascinating follow-up project in the Harvey Weinstein sex scandal drama “She Said” for Universal Pictures. Brad Pitt‘s Plan B Entertainment and Annapurna Pictures, who optioned the novel, will produce. The news comes from Deadline, and they also mention that drama will co-star will “The Big Sick” star Zoe Kazan.
“She Said” is based on the non-fiction novel, “She Said: Breaking The Sexual Harassment Story That Helped Ignite A Movement,” authored by New York Times reporters Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, who broke the Weinstein sex scandal and will be the two lead roles the actresses are in negotiations to play. It’s being compared to journalism-focused dramas such as “Spotlight” and “All The President’s Men.“
Production is said to begin this summer with “Unorthodox” director Maria Schrader set to helm and Oscar-winner screenwriter Rebecca Lenkiewicz penning the script. We should expect to see more big names join the cast as “She Said” will likely become a strong awards contender and attract more talent to various roles needed to be filled before it begins shooting.
READ MORE: Harvey Weinstein Sentenced To 23 Years In Prison For Rape Conviction
If you’re somehow unfamiliar with Harvey Weinstein and the infamous sex scandal that further ignited the #MeToo movement, it was essentially the toppling of a monstrously abusive giant who ran unchecked in Hollywood for decades. Weinstein was a famous, powerful Hollywood producer behind movie studios such as Miramax and The Weinstein Company, producing many high-profile feature films over multiple decades. Thanks to the New York Times reporting, Weinstein’s not-so-secret life of abusing his power to harass, sexually assault, and rape women—many of them, actresses that worked for him— was exposed in-depth, sparking the #MeToo movement to the public consciousness. Weinstein’s trial led to a conviction, and he was handed down a 23-year sentence. More trials are ongoing, and further consequences and jail time are looming.
The New York Times reporting was crucial because, over the years, several exposés were attempted about the open-secret of Weinstein’s horrible and criminal behavior. Still, most were squashed, never went to print, or ran in a neutered state due to legal reasons or editorial cowardice or protection (see Vanity Fair’s Graydon Carter, who reportedly was a Weinstein ally, and some have alleged, also had sex trafficker Jefferey Epstein’s back). Then, finally, the Times was able to get several women, and notable actresses at that, on the record. The floodgates opened after that, once other women knew the story was snowballing and the consequences, which so many feared from the powerful, vindictive Hollywood producer, were finally robbed of their vengeful power.