ET has learned Nicole Kidman is in final negotiations to star as Gretchen Carlson in director and producer Jay Roach’s untitled film about the women of Fox News.
ET has learned that Nicole Kidman is in final negotiations to star as Gretchen Carlson in director and producer Jay Roach’s untitled film about the women of Fox News.
The film will tell the story of the ensemble of women who took on the toxic male culture of Fox News and helped depose former Fox CEO and Chairman, Roger Ailes, who died last May at 77 years old. In July 2016, Ailes resigned from Fox after he helped start the network 20 years prior. The news came less than a month after several women accused him of sexual harassment, including Carlson, a former Fox News host.
As previously announced, Charlize Theron is attached to the project and will play the role of Megyn Kelly. The Hollywood Reporter also reported on Wednesday that Margot Robbie is in talks to play an associate producer at the news network.
Annapurna Pictures is producing the highly anticipated film along with Theron, Beth Kono and AJ Dix of Denver and Delilah (Theron’s production company). Roach, Charles Randolph and Margaret Riley are also producing, with Randolph penning the script.
In July 2016, Carlson filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against Ailes, alleging that he "sabotaged her career" because she "refused his sexual advances and complained about severe and pervasive sexual harassment." She also claimed that Ailes ended her career nine months after she allegedly refused his sexual demands from September 2015. Ailes denied the claims.
In September 2016, 21st Century Fox agreed to settle Carlson's suit, and pay her $20 million on behalf of Ailes.
Prior to the lawsuit, Carlson talked to ET about sexual harassment in the workplace in a June 2015 interview.
"Sometimes when women come forward about sexual harassment they're seen as a troublemaker," Carlson said. "... I just want women to feel secure enough to come forward en masse, if this is actually still happening to them."
"I'm hoping that we've come a long way in 2015," she added at the time. "I actually always say that I have a son and a daughter, but I work more for my son, because I want him to respect women when he gets into the real world like he respects his mom right now."
Watch below:
RELATED CONTENT:
