Charlize Theron Will Play Megyn Kelly in Jay Roach’s Fox News Movie
Charlize Theron is hopping from motherhood to Fox News. The Tully actress has lined up her next project, set to play former news anchor Megyn Kelly in Jay Roach‘s film about the allegations against the late Fox News chairman Roger Ailes.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Theron is partnering with The Big Short director for an untitled project about the women at the news network who accused Ailes of sexual harassment. In addition to starring, Theron is also producing the Annapurna film. Roach is set to direct from a script by Oscar-winning scribe Charles Randolph, co-writer of The Big Short. The film will detail the harassment scandal and THR describes the project as an ensemble piece. It will feature various characters involved in the scandal at Fox News at the time, including ex-host Gretchen Carlson, former anchor Greta Van Susteren, Rupert Murdoch and Bill O’Reilly.
Back in July of 2016, Carlson kicked off Ailes’ eventual exit from the network when she filed a $20 million lawsuit against the chairman. Soon after, Kelly alleged that she also experienced harassment at the hands of the Fox News founder. Ailes, who died at age 77 last year, resigned from the network days after Kelly’s allegations. The former host of The Kelly Files was also reportedly pressured by Fox to come out in support of Ailes, but she refused.
This is just one of two hot topic biopics in the works at Annapurna. The company also has Adam McKay‘s Dick Cheney biopic, Backseat, on the way. We’ll get to see Christian Bale’s former Vice President sometime later this year, but no word yet on when Roach’s film will enter production.