Bombshell is a 2019 American biographical comedy-drama film directed by Jay Roach and produced by Aaron L. Gilbert, Jay Roach, Robert Graf, Michelle Graham, Charles Randolph, Margaret Riley, Charlize Theron, A.J. Dix and Beth Kono. The screenplay was written by Charles Randolph.
Rated: R (movie contains sexual material and language throughout)
Run Time: 1h 49min
Release Date: December 13, 2019 (USA)
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Director: Jay Roach
Studio: Lionsgate
Budget: $32 Million
Box Office: $47.2 Million
Bombshell stars Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow, Allison Janney, Kate McKinnon, Connie Britton, Liv Henson, Anne Ramsay, Elisabeth Rohm, P.J. Byrne, Alice Eve, Ashley Green, Holland Taylor, Malcolm McDowell, Richard Kind, Andy Buckley, Stephen Root and Brian d’Arcy James.
Bombshell is the story of Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron), one of the Fox News network’s biggest personalities who discovers she’s not the only one to have been harassed by head honcho Roger Ailes (John Lithgow). She investigates the situation after former host Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) slaps Fox News founder Roger Ailes with a lawsuit alleging sexual harassment.
The story intertwines the stories of three different women who work at Fox News including Megyn Kelly, Gretchen Carlson and Kayla Popisil. As Megyn Kelly prepares to moderate a debate of the Republican candidates for President in the 2016 primaries, Despite some push-back from colleagues, she is determined to ask Trump about his sexist comments toward women. Megyn is distressed at the amount of hate she receives after the debate and the fact that she became the story instead of reporting it.
Gretchen Carlson was the co-host of Fox and Friends, but war removed from that spot and given a less valuable afternoon one. After enduring sexist comment after sexist comment, sometimes on the air, she is tired of it and meets with an attorney. Her attorney tells her that her contract makes it tough to fight back and also that her workaround would be to sue Roger Ailes directly, but she would need hard evidence and other women would need to come forward.
Meanwhile, Kayla Popisil (Margot Robbie) is a young conservative woman raised in a religous home who worships the right-wing and conservative Fox News network. She began her career working under Carlson, until she is offered a promotion to Bill O’Reilly’s show, the network’s biggest program. She moves to O’Reilly and gets chewed out by him during her first day.
Upon word of the lawsuit, Roger meets with Rupert Murdoch (Malcolm McDowell), his longtime friend and owner of Fox News, and the term’s of Roger’s exit are settled. Megyn is informed that Roger is out while at the Republican National Convention. Murdoch enters the newsroom and gives a speech to everyone telling them that Roger is gone and that he will be taking over. Gretchen gets a settlement offer of twenty million dollars and an apology from Fox News. She tells her audience she doesn’t care if they like her and just cares that they believe her. Her attorneys tell her that along with the settlement comes a non-disclosure, which means she can never tell her story. Gretchen looks out into the audience and says, ‘maybe’.
Movie Quotes
“Start with a clear villain: liberal judge, pinhead mayor, Hollywood, Vermont Conservatives want to conserve. You’re the last defense against Jesus-hating, trans-loving, Clinton-controlled Armageddon.” – Jess Carr
“I did the seminar twice. I never heard about a hotline.” – Julia Clarke
“‘Cause its B.S.! Our contracts give them the right to monitor our communications. A hotline in this building is like a complaint box in Occupied Paris. Basically, we’re telling women: go on and speak up for yourself. Just know the whole network is with Roger. You want airtime, assignments, show slots? Go ahead and call the paranoid guy handing them out to a pervert. And do so on an anonymous hotline that he controls, using phones he has a contractual right to record.” – Megyn Kelly
“This is the only job I’ve ever wanted. I don’t want to be on TV, I want to be on Fox! My family, everyday of the week, and every holiday, especially, we watch Fox News. We’re like addicts.” – Kayla Pospisil
“To be clear, I will not be kissing Trump’s ass at nine o’clock.” – Megyn Kelly
“We fight tomorrow’s fight tomorrow.” – Roger Ailes
Official Movie Trailer
Movie Stars
Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly
Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson
Margot Robbie as Kayla Pospisil
John Lithgow as Roger Ailes
Allison Janney as Susan Estrich
Kate McKinnon as Jess Carr
Connie Britton as Beth Ailes
Liv Hewson as Lily Balin
Brigette Lundy-Payne as Julia Clarke
Anne Ramsay as Greta Van Susteran
Elisabeth Rohm as Martha MacCallum
P.J. Byrne as Neil Cavuto
Alice Eve as Ainsley Earhardt
Ashley Green as Abbey Huntsman
Holland Taylor as Faye
Malcolm McDowell as Rupert Murdoch
Richard Kind as Rudi Giuliani
Andy Buckley as Gerson Zweifach
Stephen Root as Neil Mullen
Brian d’Arcy James as Brian Wilson