Julia Roberts and Sean Penn are getting political on screen.
The Oscar winners are exposing the Watergate scandal in the trailer for the new Starz series “Gaslit.”
While the subject of the 1972-1974 scandal that brought down President Nixon is well-worn, the trailer for “Gaslit” promises an intense, surprisingly violent, and somewhat forgotten story of the first Watergate whistleblower.
As IndieWire reported, Roberts plays Arkansas socialite Martha Mitchell, who publicly accused President Richard Nixon of being behind the break-in at the Watergate building.
The drama revolves around Mitchell’s determination to expose the Nixon crimes, and how that affects her relationship with her husband, Attorney General John Mitchell.
Fans might have to squint at first, as Roberts’ character is a high-haired blonde with a Southern accent. But it’s Penn, who plays John Mitchell, who will really cause some eye rubbing. He is nearly unrecognizable as a balding, pudgy, suit-wearing politico who vehemently questions his wife’s accusations, if mostly for fear of his own career.
Having previously been the charming, fairly uninvolved wife of a politician, Mitchell is soon assailed with all kinds of accusations of being “paranoid” and “crazy,” even to the point of physical intimidation in order to discredit her knowledge of the situation.
The show was derived from the podcast, “Slow Burn,” that delved into the intriguing tale.
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In a press statement, Christina Davis, president of original programming for Starz, exudes appropriate excitement over a project that roped in two of the more famous and respected actors in Hollywood.
“In ‘Gaslit,’ we not only have the opportunity to tell an incredible untold story in bringing Martha Mitchell’s historic role in Watergate to the forefront,” Davis said, “but we are also incredibly lucky to have a dream cast including Julia and Sean and the best creative team and partners we could have asked for.”
The cast also includes Dan Stevens ("Downton Abbey") and Betty Gilpin ("Glow"), who play John and Mo Dean, respectively, and Shea Whigham ("Boardwalk Empire") who takes on the role of insane Watergate mastermind, G. Gordon Liddy.
This dramatic recreation of the story follows a previous Epix docuseries also based on “Slow Burn” that premiered in February 2020.
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And Julia Roberts fans, that’s not all.
She’ll be back on the big screen in October, paired with George Clooney in the rom-com, "Ticket to Paradise." The two mega-stars play a divorced couple who travel to Bali to stop their daughter's wedding. It’s directed by Ol Parker (“Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again”).
“Gaslit” arrives April 24 on Starz.
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