The tension-filled, nearly-silent teaser trailer for Jay Roach’s Bombshell doesn’t tell us much at first glance but that’s only because it uses a story already well-known to most. As the teaser points out, this film is one based on a real-life scandal. For those left in the dark, that would be the Roger Ailes/Fox News scandal — a precursor to the #MeToo movement. But what exactly is the story behind the scandal?
Well, the film’s synopsis reads: “Bombshell is a revealing look inside the most powerful and controversial media empire of all time: Fox News, and the explosive story of the women who brought down the infamous man who created it.” So how was Fox News CEO Roger Ailes ousted from his own company? It began with Fox news anchor Gretchen Carlson filing a sexual harassment suit against him in 2016. She claimed she was fired for refusing his sexual advances and the case was reportedly settled for $20 million.
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The story breaking then inspired a number of other women to come out with their experiences of sexual harassment under Ailes. At the time, Ailes was considered one of the biggest and most powerful names in American media. Still, the pressure from the allegations was enough to force his hand in resignation.
(This is why we have to let people come out with their sexual harassment stories online)
Nicole Kidman stars as Gretchen Carlson with Charlize Theron as news anchor Megyn Kelly. Margot Robbie rounds up the leads as fictional character Kayla Pospisil. It features John Lithgow as Ailes and the cast also includes Allison Janney, Connie Britton, and Kate McKinnon.
The film is set to premiere in December.
What did you think of the teaser?Â
