The thrilling behind the scenes account of the ‘news interview of the decade’ is based on former Newsnight Producer Sam McAlister’s memoir Scoops: Behind The Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews.
- Emmy Award winner Gillian Anderson (Sex Education, The Crown) joins as Emily Maitlis, Newsnight’s former lead presenter who conducted the now infamous television exchange.
- BAFTA nominee Keeley Hawes (Bodyguard, It’s a Sin, Stonehouse) stars as Amanda Thirsk, former Private Secretary to Prince Andrew.
- BAFTA nominee Billie Piper (I Hate Suzie, Collateral, Secret Diary of a Call Girl) stars as Sam McAlister, who negotiated and secured the bombshell booking.
- Emmy Award Nominee Rufus Sewell (The Diplomat, The Marvelous Mrs Maisel) stars as Prince Andrew.
- Emmy and BAFTA winner Philip Martin (The Crown, Prime Suspect, Wallander, Mo) directs the project.
SCOOP is produced by Hilary Salmon and Radford Neville (Luther, The Night Of, MotherFatherSon) for The Lighthouse Film & Television, with Sanjay Singhal (Bin Laden: The Road to 9/11, Trouble at Topshop) for Voltage TV.
The inside track of the women that broke through the Buckingham Palace establishment to secure the scoop of the decade that led to the catastrophic fall from grace of The Queen’s ‘Favourite son’. From navigating Palace vetoes, to breaking through to Prince Andrew’s inner circle, the high stakes negotiations and intensity of rehearsal – to the jaw dropping interview itself. SCOOP is the insider account of the inner workings of the Palace and the BBC, twin bastions of the British Establishment, spotlighting the journalists whose tenacity and guts broke through the highest of ceilings – and into the inner sanctum and calculations of a man with everything to lose.
Sam McAlister is the BAFTA nominated Producer who negotiated many of the Newsnight seminal exclusives that shaped and captivated public conversation over the past decade. A trained criminal defence barrister, and ‘Booker Extraordinaire’ she has had a backstage pass to the most unforgettable journalism of our times.
Sam McAlister says “it is beyond my wildest dreams, especially as a first time writer, to end up working with this extraordinary cast, Netflix, and the amazing teams at The Lighthouse and Voltage. Watching Billie Piper, one of my favourite actresses, play “me” will be a pinch myself moment and I’m truly thrilled to be involved in this film.”
Philip Martin adds – “I’m thrilled to be directing this film for Netflix and – together with an extraordinary cast – to be bringing Sam McAlister’s revelatory insider’s account to the screen. Uptempo, immersive and cinematic, I want to put the audience inside the breath-taking sequence of events that led to the interview with Prince Andrew – to tell a story about a search for answers, in a world of speculation and varying recollections. It’s a film about power, privilege and differing perspectives and how – whether in glittering palaces or hi-tech newsrooms – we judge what’s true.”
