Hanks, Streep to star in Spielberg’s ‘Post’ movie
WITH journalism and the “Hollywood elite” consistently drawing ire from the Trump White House, it’s no surprise that the two would eventually team up.
Oscar winners Tom Hanks, Meryl Streep and Steven Spielberg are joining forces for a new drama about the fourth estate called The Post, which chronicles The Washington Post’s legal battle to publish the classified Pentagon Papers in 1971. Spielberg will direct, Hanks will play the Post’s larger-than-life executive editor Ben Bradlee, and Streep will play Katharine Graham, the newspaper’s publisher, according to Deadline.
Details of the film have been kept under wraps. Sally Quinn, Bradlee’s widow and a former Post reporter, knew about the project but had previously been sworn to secrecy. “I am thrilled,” said Quinn. “This is the dream team.”
The last time Quinn saw her husband on the big screen was in 1976 when actor Jason Robards played Bradlee in All the President’s Men. “He (Robards) got him cold,” said Quinn. “It was just mind-blowing.”
And she expects Hanks, who knew Bradlee personally, will do an equally praiseworthy job. “Tom is a brilliant actor. I don’t have to give him advice. They know Ben and they know what he’s like.”
“All I can can say is I think the timing is perfect. It could not be more relevant today to what’s going on,” added Quinn.
The movie’s existence is news to Katharine Weymouth, Graham’s granddaughter and the former publisher of The Post, but the media scion agreed with Quinn.
“With the media under attack, I think everybody has thought about it in a new light and realises the importance of the people out there reporting on the facts,” Weymouth said.
So what advice would Graham’s granddaughter give to three-time Oscar winner Streep on stepping into Kay Graham’s shoes?
“My guess is she will approach it like she approaches any role. She’ll do her homework,” said Weymouth. “I think my grandmother would be incredibly flattered that Meryl Streep was playing her. Who wouldn’t be?” – The Washington Post