HBO has dropped official word that it will continue its look at the U. S. political machine that it has chronicled in two other projects to date. A miniseries is in the works from the team behind GAME CHANGE that will examine the 2016 Presidential election cycle. It will be written by “Game Change” authors Mark Halperin and John Heileman, produced by Tom Hanks directed by Jay Roach. Here is the press release:
HBO FILMS TO CHRONICLE THE EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS OF THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN A MINISERIES TO BE BASED ON THE UPCOMING BOOK BY MARK HALPERIN AND JOHN HEILEMANN, FROM THE PRODUCERS AND DIRECTOR OF HBO’S EMMY-WINNING FILM “GAME CHANGE”
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Miniseries To Be Executive Produced By Tom Hanks And Gary Goetzman, Directed And Executive Produced By Jay Roach, And Based On The Third Installment Of The “Game Change” Series Of Campaign Books By New York Times Bestselling Co-Authors Mark Halperin And John Heilemann
HBO has announced plans for a miniseries that tells the story of Donald Trump’s dramatic, improbable victory over Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election, and has enlisted Jay Roach to direct and executive produce and Playtone’s Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman as executive producers. The miniseries will be based on Mark Halperin and John Heilemann’s upcoming third installment of the “Game Change” series, which will be published by Penguin Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House (PRH), and cover the most stunning political upset of all time.
Based on the 2010 New York Times No. 1 bestseller by Halperin and Heilemann, HBO Films’ “Game Change” was executive produced by Goetzman and Hanks, directed and executive produced by Roach, and starred Julianne Moore, Woody Harrelson and Ed Harris. Debuting in 2012 on HBO, it went on to win five Emmy Awards, including Outstanding Miniseries or Movie, three Golden Globes, including Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television, and a Peabody Award.
Halperin and Heilemann’s book “Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime” was widely hailed as the definitive account of the historic 2008 presidential election, and was followed four years later by the New York Times bestselling sequel “Double Down: Game Change 2012.”
Len Amato, president, HBO Films, says, “We are thrilled to continue our relationship with Mark Halperin and John Heilemann, whose work on their bestselling book ‘Game Change’ set the bar for political reporting and storytelling inside a presidential campaign. Reuniting ‘Game Change’ director and executive producer Jay Roach and Playtone producers Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman with Mark and John for a project based on their upcoming book promises to vividly capture the most unique and impactful event in modern American politics.”
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John Heilemann & Mark Halperin
If you recall it all started with HBO Films: RECOUNT. It was about the 2000 presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore featuring those nasty “hanging chads.” Though it was not written by Halperin/Heilemann (Danny Strong was credited for that) it was directed by Jay Roach and started the latest examination of the political scene for HBO. That led to GAME CHANGE with Roach & Strong adapting the words of the H&H book mentioned above. It chronicled the 2008 presidential election and focused mainly on John McCain and Sarah Palin. A follow-up book was written by Halperin/Heilemann, entitled “Double Down” looking at the Obama/Romney contest of 2014, but it never made it to the screen.
Now the 2016 election is getting the scrutiny. A close eye will be on this one for sure as the election was certainly one for the history books. Will Alex Baldwin play President Trump?
