HOME TRAILERS 2013 SCHEDULE PODCASTS REVIEWS POSTERS INTERVIEWS SHORT FILMS NEWS FEEDS ABOUT APPS

LATEST NEWS

Tom McCarthy Directing Drama About Catholic Church Sex Scandal

by Ben Pearson
October 19, 2012
Source: Variety

Regardless of your personal religious choices, it can't be denied that there was a time in which the Catholic Church was very publicly associated with the sexual abuse of young boys. That perception has dropped off in recent years, but Variety reports that Win Win director Tom McCarthy is directing an untitled drama about the reporters at the Boston Globe who uncovered the original conspiracy to keep these deeds quiet. Not exactly lighthearted material to help close out the week, but since it's the "story behind the story" that's being put in the spotlight here, it should be more interesting than just another damning exposé. Read on!

The story will follow Michael Rezendes, Sacha Pfeiffer, Matt Carroll, Walter "Robby" Robinson, Ben Bradlee Jr. and Marty Baron, the team of reporters at the Boston Globe who investigated thousands of pages of documents and conducted a myriad of interviews in the New England area to expose a scandal that rocked the Catholic Church. McCarthy has been working on this project in secret for over a year because of the "sensitivity of the subject matter," and the tone of the screenplay by "The West Wing" writer Josh Singer is said to be similar to the classic Hoffman/Redford journalism film All the President's Men.

While trade claims "at least one A-List star has expressed interest in the material" (could they be any more vague?), there aren't any actors officially attached at this point. The project hasn't even secured financing yet or gone out to the studios, so it'll be a bit before this one hits the big screen and likely brings up some memories that the church would rather forget. But with the a level-headed guy like McCarthy running the show, I imagine most of the drama will come from the journalistic angle and not a sensationalistic retreading of these reprehensible events. Thoughts?

Filed under Development, Movie News

From around the web:

JM

A good story. Hope they get the tone and will do the good film the story deserves.
Marty

The horror is ongoing: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-19683925
stevenfreestyler

What? Hollywood goes dumb on ideas? As the day goes by Hollywood comes with crap ideas as well as lost the meaning of entertainment. Movies are made to entertain people and people around the world are gonna be entertained by a movie about church sex scandal? that is sick ..
- ff
  
  NO actually it needs to be exposed. Kids were raped for decades and no one got in trouble. Screw the church and screw those priests who should be rotting in prison.
Men of honor

Already the catholic world is being ridiculed by other religion around the world, now add the damn fuel to that. We work hard and new ways to embarrass ourselves.
dreckent

I really liked "Deliver us from evil" and McCarthys approach looks very interesting. Anyway remembering the criminal attitude the catholic authorities showed and how many people still choose to minimzie this problem i think its a good idea to make a movie about it.