This is a photo of Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey, the two New York Times journalists who broke the Harvey Weinstein story last year. Ronan Farrow worked on the Weinstein story separately, and Farrow’s story ended up being published in The New Yorker. Farrow has since said that he, Jodi and Megan were in contact with each other at various times during their separate investigations, and all three journalists were given credit – and joint Pulitzer Prizes – for their reporting on Weinstein. For all three journalists, there was months of legwork, dealing with terrified, traumatized victims, and of course threats from Weinstein and his lawyers. Not to mention, Weinstein also hired ex-Mossad agents to track and distract journalists and victims. All of that makes for a pretty cinematic story, and now Brad Pitt’s Plan B has bought the rights to Twohey and Kantor’s side of it.
The story of New York Times reporters Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey and their roles in taking down movie mogul Harvey Weinstein is getting the Hollywood treatment. Plan B, the Brad Pitt-headlined production company behind Oscar winners 12 Years a Slave and Moonlight, and Annapurna, Megan Ellison’s media banner that made Detroit and Phantom Thread, have teamed to pick up the screen rights from the reporters and The New York Times.
Production-management company Anonymous Content reps the Times. It previously produced Spotlight, the Oscar-winning movie about The Boston Globe’s investigation into cases of widespread and systemic child sex abuse in the Boston area by numerous Roman Catholic priests, but is not involved in producing this new project.
While there is no writer or filmmaker on board, Plan B and Annapurna are not aiming to tell the tale of Weinstein or his purported crimes, but rather how the reporters faced down threats and intimidation to push through with one of the most important stories of the decade. Movies such as All the President’s Men and Spotlight are the touchstones for the project.
Kantor and Twohey’s exploits earned the duo a Pulitzer Prize for their coverage of Weinstein’s alleged abuses (shared with Ronan Farrow for his work for The New Yorker).
The New York Times’ story, which first appeared on Oct. 5, was headlined “Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades.” It included on-the-record quotes and investigative reporting on alleged sexual abuse and cover-up by Weinstein, then one of the most awarded and respected movie moguls of the modern age.
Kantor and Twohey’s stories had an immediate impact: Weinstein was fired from his company and kicked out of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. His fall shattered closed doors as more women came forward to not only tell their Weinstein stories but to point out alleged abuses by others in the industry. The #MeToo and Time’s Up movements were born in the wake of the claims.
I think I’m okay with this? Obviously, it could easily become exploitative, but if the focus is just on the two female journalists, I think it will be fine? It really could be like Spotlight, only “Spotlight 2: Hollywood Predator Edition.” So here’s my question: what’s your dream-casting for Kantor and Twohey? Kantor is the shorter woman, Twohey is the taller woman with bangs and a Catherine Keener vibe. I say… Kantor could easily be played by Jenny Slate, or failing that, Amy Adams with a dye job. For Twohey…maybe Elizabeth Debicki? Emily Blunt? Anne Hathaway could play either of them, honestly. I’m sure Jennifer Lawrence will be up for Twohey though.
Photos courtesy of WENN, Getty.
Mira Sorvino and Ashley Judd.
THIS!
I will accept no other casting.
Perfect.
Molly Shannon and Rebecca Hall?
I thought Rebecca Hall and Jennifer Jason Leigh!
Ha! That was my knee jerk reaction, too.
In reality I’d be concerned about the whole thing developing a stunt-like feel. There’s always a chance it could work, but everyone – and I do mean everyone – involved in the project would have to be amazingly careful.
And come on, but this is Hollywood we’re talking about here. Smh, I just do not have the trust for that.
MAKE THIS HAPPEN!!!!!
I could see Mira Sorvino as Twohey
I was going to say Tina Fey and Amy Adams, but yours is better.
x100,000
Being from a completely different country whose culture has not yet incorporated its very questionable past as a coloniser let alone its very recent dictatorship, I am always so surprised to see how fast America produces the mystification of its own history through film, documentaries and books. It has also invented the expression “too soon?” re: traumatic events being laughed at. Weird.
That’s all I have.
I was thinking the same thing. Its really fresh and waiting with the movie wont hurt anyone. Its really not adding much to the conversation.
Just like there is already talks of a tv series for that sex cult.
Exactly. While my country should by now be processing problematic history, we are still dealing with the consequences of this story. It does not seem to be over. Either the film helps things move forward or it will just be a bunch of clichés not really adding anything to it.
Im more comfortable with journalists (and them telling the stories of regular women) and academics processing it then already making a movie about it. If you look at how Germany dealt with their legacy it wasnt with blockbusters.
What could a movie possibly add right now? Do it in a couple of years.
This is about money and awards. If you care about the movement fix your industry that would help a lot more.
@Queen B, I agree. I’m afraid it might be about the awards and about that capitalist way of just assimilating something in order to make a profit rather than just thinking about it and taking on serious socio-political change.
A German friend told me it is sometimes awkward for him to say his nationality. I am not sure how things were processed and a lot has been swept under the rug with a lot of focus on rebuilding what he’d been completely destroyed after the war. But I agree, there was some time given before the traumatic rise of fascism in many counties in Europe. It is still a very difficult subject.
American here, and I don’t get it either.
This is still an ongoing story – if a film must be made at all, it should be years down the road when this isn’t still headline news, when there’s been some visible change, when Weinstein is prosecuted, etc.
I’ve never cared for movies on recent, real life tragedies, and it seems nowadays it happens faster and faster.
I was listening to the Podcast The Moth the other day (where people tell real life stories in front of an audience). The son of the Everest guy (Scott Fisher I think) was explaining how bizarre it was to grieve his father with two motion pictures depicting him (the last one was “Everest” where Jake Gylhenhall played his dad). It really befuddled me and saddened me a bit. This wave of sensationalism masked as “realism” sometimes sucks and does no one any good.
Or, you know, actresses in their 40s, like the actual women.
Exactly what I was thinking, @Ally.
Hmm…maybe Sarah Paulson for Twohey? I know she’s everywhere right now, but she’s genuinely crazy talented, so for once the phenomenon is appropriate.
And there’s something niggling in my mind for an actress for Kantor, but I can’t quite put my finger on who it could be. That’s gonna bug me.
THIS! Elizabeth Debicki and Jennifer Lawrence were born in 1990. For context, Jodi Kantor was born in 1975 and Megan Twohey graduated from Georgetown in 1998. Presumably this move will be made in the near future to capitalize on the interest. Why are we “dreamcasting” actresses in their late 20s and early 30s and erasing the maturity and experience of these journalists?
Yeah, I can’t see Jenny Slate at all. Allison Janney is not the right age but I could see her as Kantor. Maybe Katie Holmes as Twohey?
No to Jenny Slate.
Yes to age appropriate actresses.
Second re Jenny Slate. If we are going with big names, how about Katherine Zeta-Jones for the mature one of the pair?
Marisa Tomei. Mira Sorvino.
@Lightpurple – this is what I want so bad! You nailed it.
Let’s recast them as men, a la the Rob Ford story. (Ugh)
Hmm, interesting and I like that they’re women but i kind of find how the New Yorker also broke the story more appealing.
Oh well. Hopefully it’s done well.
Tina Fey and Ellen Page. Ellen is probably a decade too young, but I’m feeling it. And I’d like to see Tina do drama.
Oh I just posted, but Ellen page… yes
I picked Tina as well, but I’d swap her out for Page and Keener
Tina Fey and Catherine Keener.
I’m thinking the looks are dead on and the acting skill is there
Yes to Keener! Great casting.
Sally Hawkins ???
Katherine Keener and Michelle Monaghan.
Please not Jenny Slate. Her voice is too annoying and she said some problematic stuff on twitter that would not look good at all if brought to light, one of them retweeting that sex workers should service sexual abusers (now deleted after being called out, as many of her other tweets), besides homophobic language and other stuff. There are tons of actresses on their 40’s that could play the journalists and would be better on the job.
Twohey is giving me strong Paz de la Huerta vibes in the bottom photo so she could be a contender?
Catherine Keener and Julia Louis Dryfus
Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis.
I am done with Susan Sarandon forever.
I’m…not sure I’m OK with this? I mean the story deserves to be told but…well, victims are likely going to get no compensation from Weinstein because of bankruptcy etc. but now Brad Pitt (who knew that Weinstein was at minimum a harasser and still did that Tarantino film) makes money off the story? I’m not saying Pitt is doing something wrong, it just feels off to me.
@Mia4s
If I were Brad Pitt I’d lay low and let someone else head this project. His past is checkered at best, especially as far as dating underaged actresses when he was almost 30 years old.
What’s the latest on Harvey? Is he going to jail or not? Any more come out about Georgina Chapman? Latest blind and am articles abou nene leaked suggests she’s a racist.
NeNe Leakes? Huh?
So radar had an article saying Georgina Chapman was pissed that nene leakes wore a marchesa dress because she never gave her one because it’s beneath her. A blind item on CDAN is saying a designer is going to be outed as a racist (won’t lend dresses to women of color) . Most guesses are saying Georgina Chapman.
If all this is true then I’m glad stuff about her is coming out and I hope more does. I can’t believe I ever took her side and really liked her and gave her the benefit of the doubt.
I read they have a prosecutor who took over the case, who is infamous for prosecuting men who have not left behind physical evidence i.e. DNA, etc.
It sounds good
Just a FYI, there is a really powerful documentary on PBS Frontline about Harvey Weinstein. It is a BBC production It details accusations about him that dates back 40 years through a wealth of interviews. If you can stomach it ,I would recommend it.
Sarah Silverman and Rachel McAdams.
Even though I think it is a little too soon for this (emotions still being raw), Mira Sorvino and Rose McGowan should be the two playing these parts. If this is really going to come to fruition, I hope they do it right.
Tina Fey and Meg Tilley.
Sally Hawkins and Asia Argento
Cast two of the Weinstein survivors, there are legions of them and a huge number are actresses after all. And many of them are the right age to actually play women in their 40s, so I’d rather see actresses actually in that age group play Kantor and Twohey.
That is, if this has to be done at all. I get that Brad Pitt isn’t front and centre of all Plan B productions and mostly gets out of the way, but as others have pointed out, it’s weird for this story to be optioned by a man who had two partners go on the record about their treatment at the hands of Weinstein, and in Gwyneth’s case he actually knew in the immediate aftermath. At best, giving him the benefit of the doubt, he couldn’t speak up because Gwyneth or Angelina (assuming she told him) didn’t want to make it public back then but this just seems like a rather cynical attempt to make an ‘issues’ movie for Oscar bait.
I’m surprised nobody’s mentioned Mary-Louise Parker for the one without bangs. Whoever said Sally Hawkins was also bang-on.
The other one is a little harder to peg. Maybe a brunette Rosamund Pike?