Russell Crowe is nearly unrecognizable in the first photo of him as Fox News' founding CEO Roger Ailes, for Showtime limited series The Loudest Voice. Produced in collaboration with Blumhouse Television and based on Gabriel Sherman's book, The Loudest Voice in the Room, the Showtime series will look at how Ailes "molded Fox News into a force that irrevocably changed the conversation about the highest levels of government."
Ailes died in May 2017, less than a year after he resigned from Fox News following allegations of sexual harassment from multiple women, including former Fox anchors Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly. The Loudest Voice will primarily focus on Ailes' actions and influence during the final decade of his life, but will also include flashbacks to his younger days.
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The Loudest Voice will also star Naomi Watts as Gretchen Carlson, Seth MacFarlane as Fox executive Brian Lewis, Sienna Miller as Ailes' wife, Beth Ailes, and Simon McBurney as Fox News founder and Chairman Rupert Murdoch. The miniseries was written by Tom McCarthy (Spotlight) in collaboration with Sherman, who was also responsible for much of New York Magazine's reporting of the sexual harassment allegations. Check out the first photo of Crowe as Ailes below, courtesy of Deadline.
Crowe isn't the only actor who has been cast in the role of Ailes recently. John Lithgow (The Crown) will play Ailes in an as-yet untitled upcoming film directed by Jay Roach (Trumbo), which will also star Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly and Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson. The film was originally set to be produced by Annapurna Pictures, but was dropped due to budget concerns and later picked up by Lionsgate instead. Filming on that project began in October 2018.
Showtime has yet to announce a premiere date for The Loudest Voice. The miniseries only began filming in early November 2018, and therefore probably won't arrive for another few months. Recently the production was subject to a $750 million lawsuit and an injunction to shut down production by Larry Klayman, an attorney working on behalf of former Fox News booker Laura Luhn. Klayman argues that The Loudest Voice is going to "use Defendant Sherman’s false, misleading and defamatory statements and innuendos and present them as fact in their miniseries" - those defamatory statements in particular relating to Sherman's characterization of Luhn as a effectively a "pimp" for Ailes who would send women to his office after-hours.
We'll bring you more news and updates regarding The Loudest Voice as production continues.
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Source: Deadline