In the summer of 2016, multiple women from the Fox News Channel publicly accused the company’s then-CEO, Roger Ailes, of sexual assault. Less than 2 months after the first woman, Gretchen Carlson, came forward, Ailes resigned from his position at Fox News.
The story of the women who came forward will soon find its way to theaters when the film
Bombshell
premieres on Dec. 20.
The film’s star-studded cast features Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, and Charlize Theron, and early reviews indicate that it will be a top Oscar contender next February.
For background, Ailes was one of the first major names in the news industry who stepped down from his position amid sexual allegations. Soon after, other sexual harassment cases involving industry figures like Bill O’Reilly, Matt Lauer, and Charlie Rose became public.
The Roger Ailes case is cited as inspiring other victims of sexual harassment to come forward prior to the #MeToo movement.
Ailes was first a political consultant to President Ronald Reagan and later to President George H.W. Bush, quickly making a name for himself within the political arena. In 1996, Rupert Murdoch of 21st Century Fox hired Ailes as CEO of a new cable news outlet, The Fox News Channel. Fox News hosts soon became household names, and the channel found success in branding itself as a “fair and balanced” network and an alternative to the purported left-leaning news media.
Fox News is now one of the most-watched cable news networks in America. Hosts at the network quickly strive for coveted primetime slots and work tirelessly to get themselves there. In the 2010s, Gretchen Carlson and Megyn Kelly were among these Fox employees in the running for a primetime program and were among the multiple women who came forward in 2016 accusing Ailes of making unwanted sexual advances towards them. Carlson and Kelly are the focus of
Bombshell
.
In the film, Nicole Kidman plays Gretchen Carlson, Charlize Theron plays Megyn Kelly, and Margot Robbie plays a composite fictional character.
The trailer for
Bombshell
was released last month. Some of the most striking elements of the trailer included the lack of dialogue, the dramatic background music, and the near-identical portrayals of the characters by their actors.
