Few directors in Hollywood can attract the same caliber of talent as Steven Spielberg.
Throughout his decorated career behind the lens, the industry legend has launched up-and-comers to stardom while simultaneously wringing the absolute best out of acting veterans like Tom Hanks. Together, they’ve formed a creative and often unrivalled double act that’s produced edge-of-your-seat drama (see: Saving Private Ryan, Band of Brothers, Bridge of Spies), and we know they’re poised to re-team again for a potentially Oscar-worthy picture centering on the infamous Pentagon Papers.
Formerly titled The Post, Variety brings word today that Spielberg’s latest creative venture will now release as The Papers, and the filmmaker has recruited a truly enviable ensemble to chronicle the saga involving the Washington Post, the Nixon Administration, and those aforementioned Pentagon Papers – documents that contained classified information on America’s dubious presence in Vietnam.
With Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep attached to play editor Ben Bradlee and Kay Graham – the first female publisher to work at the Washington Post – we now have confirmation of the supporting cast: GLOW star Alison Brie, Carrie Coon, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Tracy Letts, Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul), Sarah Paulson, Jesse Plemons, Matthew Rhys, Michael Stuhlbarg, Bradley Whitford and Zach Woods. Talk about a stacked ensemble, eh?
Filming on the 20th Century Fox and Amblin Entertainment joint is already underway ahead of its initial release on December 22nd of this year. Liz Hannah, meanwhile, is the brains behind the screenplay, and given the current political climate – both at home and overseas – a Steven Spielberg-directed feature film about the Nixon Administration’s unprecedented attempt to infringe on the First Amendment may just result in a drama for our times.
Steven Spielberg will delve deep into The Papers, and potentially uncover an Oscar-worthy drama in the process, when his long-brewing pic opens via limited release on December 22nd. It’ll then expand nationwide on January 12th, 2018, at which point we fully expect Spielberg’s picture to emerge as a potential candidate in Hollywood’s annual awards circuit.
