In 2019, Queen Elizabeth’s son Prince Andrew gave an exclusive interview to the BBC. In a conversation that lasted about an hour, the British royal spoke with journalist Emily Maitlis about her relationship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. What followed – understandably – was a public outcry that ultimately led to the prince’s resignation from public life.
Now, Netflix is recounting the stories of the women who helped make the bombshell interviews happen in a new film called Scoop. Directed by Philip Martin and starring Gillian Anderson, Rufus Sewell, Billie Piper, Romola Garai and Keeley Hawes, the film is about constant negotiation, research and preparation leading up to the eye-opening interviews. are recorded.
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Ahead of the film’s Netflix premiere on April 5, here’s what you need to know about the explosive BBC interview and what you can learn from the story behind the story.
Prince Andrew’s revealing interview
In November 2019, journalist Emily Maitlis interviewed Prince Andrew at Buckingham Palace, where he talked about everything from his friendship with Epstein to the allegations against him by one of Epstein’s victims. The Duke of York has spoken candidly about his time with the disgraced financier, admitting that he stayed at Mr Epstein’s mansion many times – including young girls who frequented the house. This also includes cases where witnesses testified that they saw the incident.
“I described his house as almost a train station,” Prince Andrew said in an interview, “I meant people were coming in and out of it all the time. What were they doing? I had no business why I was there.”
Although Prince Andrew spent most of the interview denying he had any knowledge of what was going on in Epstein’s home or life, Maitlis said the pair spent much of their time together even after Epstein was convicted of sex crimes. He pointed out several examples of times spent together.
The fallout from the press conference was almost immediate, and a few days later Prince Andrew issued a statement announcing that he was stepping back from royal duties. In a statement, the Duke of York said: “In recent days, circumstances relating to my previous relationship with Jeffrey Epstein have significantly disrupted my family’s work and the valuable work being done in the UK.” has become clear.” “I support the many organizations and charities that I am proud to support, which is why I have asked Her Majesty the Queen if I may step back from public life for the time being and have asked for her permission. I received it.”
Scoop is based on insider accounts
After that seminal interview, former Newsnight producer Sam McAllister published a book: scoop, chronicling what happened behind the scenes to make the interview with Prince Andrew happen. The book, now made into a Netflix film called Scoop, sheds light on the women who negotiated tirelessly with the palace and Prince Andrew’s private secretary, and conducted hours of research to prepare for the interviews. ing.
“Interviews are very important, but they’re only 5% of the story,” McAllister told Netflix fandom site Tudum. “What we’re doing is taking you on a journey to find out how it all started.”
In ‘Scoop’ viewers will learn about the BBC’s clash with Buckingham Palace to secure a high-stakes interview. The film also depicts how much work went on behind the scenes for the headline-grabbing interviews before the cameras started rolling.
Who is the main character in the movie?
The Scoop cast includes Billie Piper as interview booker Sam McAllister, Gillian Anderson as journalist Emily Maitlis, Rufus Sewell as Prince Andrew, and Keeley Hawes as Prince Andrew’s private secretary Amanda Thirsk. , starring Romola Garai as editor Esme Wren.
“Scoop” begins streaming on Netflix on April 5th. Also check out our picks for the best movies to watch on Netflix.