Prince Andrew’s disastrous Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis has been turned into the biographical drama Scoop.
Gillian Anderson and Rufus Sewell are taking on the main roles in the Netflix film, directed by The Crown’s Philip Martin and written by Peter Moffatwhich, which will be arriving on the small screen next month.
Five years after the TV event, viewers will learn more about what happened behind the scenes to secure the Duke of York for the sitdown chat.
It will look at ‘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’ while highlighting ‘the journalists whose tenacity and guts broke through the highest of ceilings’.
While we wait, let’s take a look at everything we know so far about the programme…
When will Scoop be released on Netflix?
Get your diaries out and write Scoop in bold letters on April 5 because that’s when the one-hour and 42-minute title will arrive on the streaming giant.
What is the drama about?
The film is based on former Newsnight booker Sam McAllister’s memoir, Scoops: Behind The Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews, and focuses her recollection of how BBC2 programme Prince Andrew & the Epstein Scandal came to air on November 16 2019. It is a fictional dramatisation of how ‘the scoop of the decade’ happened and Prince Andrew’s possible motivations for agreeing to do it.
During the 58-minute televised chat that the Netflix film is based on, Emily firmly quizzed Prince Andrew on his relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who died in August 2019.
Prince Andrew was named in the legal deposition of Virginia Roberts, who claimed she was trafficked to him by Epstein for sex at the age of 17. He denied the allegations and didn’t recall ever meeting her.
In one memorable moment, Prince Andrew refuted claims that he’d been ‘profusely sweating’ during their encounter.
‘I have a peculiar medical condition which is that I don’t sweat or I didn’t sweat at the time,’ he told Emily.
‘I didn’t sweat at the time because I had suffered what I would describe as an overdose of adrenaline in the Falklands War when I was shot at and I simply… it was almost impossible for me to sweat.’
He also said he had been at ‘Pizza Express in Woking’ on March 10 2001 – the date the allegations were said to have taken place.
In May 2020, Prince Andrew indefinitely withdrew from his public roles.
Who is in the cast?
The formidable Sam was instrumental in securing the interview with Prince Andrew and will be played by Billie Piper, who’s previously proved her acting chops in I Hate Suzie and Secret Diary of a Call Girl.
Gillian previously played Princess Margaret on The Crown and will now be switching roles to question Prince Andrew played by Rufus from The Diplomat.
Keeley Hawes, known for Bodyguard and Spooks, will portray Prince Andrew’s former private secretary Amanda Thirsk. Connor Swindells from Sex Education will be Jae Donnelly, the photographer who took pictures of Prince Andrew walking with Epstein in a New York park in 2010, which were shown in the interview.
The cast also includes Romola Garai as then-Newsnight Editor Esme Wren and Charity Wakefield as Princess Beatrice.
Is there a trailer?
Yes, there is a trailer available for viewing below.
Billie Piper’s character Sam states, ‘One hour of TV can change everything.’ In the teaser, she is warned about pursuing an impossible goal but continues with meetings at Buckingham Palace and private meetings with royals.
The show also suggests that Prince Andrew initially thought the interview went well before facing public backlash.
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Rufus is completely transformed for the role with the assistance of prosthetics. He was able to become accustomed to the change in appearance by observing it happen ‘layer by layer’ over hours: ‘It feels like your own face, and fortunately, they let me just get used to the feeling of it.’
What have Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew said about Scoop?
In an interview with GQ when the casting was announced, Emily mentioned how her sons had mixed reactions.
‘I have teenage sons, so that was hormonally complicated,’ she joked.
‘But I’ve stayed right away from the project actually.
‘I haven’t seen the script. She could be playing me as a dipsomaniac for all I know.’
Prince Andrew has not commented on the upcoming release.
Scoop will be available for streaming on Netflix on April 5.
