HBO Announces Movie About One Of 2023’s Most Controversial Politicians Days After Congress Expels Him

HBO enters development on a movie about George Santos just days after he was expelled from Congress. Santos is one of the most controversial United States politicians of the year, having been routinely called out and caught for lying about aspects of his history. After a contentious vote in the House of Representatives, Santos was officially expelled from Congress on December 1 on account of an ethics investigation.

As per Deadline, HBO Films is now set to develop a movie based on Santos. The film will be based on the book The Fabulist: The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos by Mark Chiusano, and will be directed by Frank Rich (Veep, Succession). The logline describes the movie as:

“The story of a seemingly minor local race that wound up a battle for the soul of Long Island, and unexpectedly carved the path for the world’s most famous (and now disgraced) congressman. The Gatsby-esque journey of a man from nowhere who exploited the system, waged war on truth and swindled one of the wealthiest districts in the country to achieve his American Dream.”

Is It Too Soon For A George Santos Film?

The HBO movie does not yet have a title, nor a cast. The creative team includes Rich as director and Mike Makowsky as writer and co-executive producer alongside Rich. Book author Chiusano will also work on the Santos film as a consulting producer.

Though Santos has been widely criticized for months at this point, some may feel that HBO’s announcement comes in poor taste given how recent his congressional expulsion was. Chiusano’s book was released on November 28, just days before Santos ultimately got expelled, so HBO must have been quick to get the rights even before the news broke of his official departure from Congress. HBO might’ve been working before the book was officially published. Even if the film is based on the book, and not in reaction to the expulsion, this is a quick turnaround time.

As a story, however, Santos’ expulsion from Congress adds more fuel to HBO’s fire for the movie. Ever since his Congressional scandals began, Santos has often been the subject of SNL skits and other spoofs. Now, right on the heels of his expulsion, the now-former Congressman could make potentially great content for the network if realized effectively.

Source: Deadline