December 4, 2023
HBO Set to Make Movie out of George Santos' Scandal-Ridden Political Career
Kilian Melloy READ TIME: 2 MIN.
Move over, "SNL" – HBO is getting into the George Santos game with a movie about the now-expelled lawmaker's political career... and Frank Rich, of "Veep" and "Succession" fame, is executive producing.
"The film, now in development, is described as a forensic and darkly comic look at the crazy, unprecedented congressional race on Long Island that led to Santos being elected to Congress," Deadline reported.
"Written by Mike Makowsky, writer-producer of another HBO Emmy winner, 'Bad Education,' the film tells 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," Deadline said.
"It follows 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."
It's no surprise that there would be interest in adapting Santos' story for the screen, but the announcement dropping the day after Santos was expelled from Congress was a stroke of timing worthy of the most gifted comedian.
Though Santos "attracted widespread attention as revelations came to light of the fabrications of his resume and background" even before taking office, it took close to a year for his fellow lawmakers to eject him. When they finally did so, it was for "alleged ethics violations, including donor funds spent on racy subscription website OnlyFans and Botox treatments," Deadline noted.
The litany of Santos' fabrications and alleged misdeeds has spawned a genre of satirical memes and jokes, with "Saturday Night Live" poking fun at the disgraced former representative. As previously reported, after Santos' expulsion, "SNL" broadcasted a sketch in which openly gay cast member Bowen Yang portrayed Santos as bidding farewell to the halls of power by mangling an Elton John hit, with rewritten lyrics transforming "Candle in the Wind" into "Scandal in the Wind."
Watch the "SNL" skit below.
Kilian Melloy serves as EDGE Media Network's Associate Arts Editor and Staff Contributor. His professional memberships include the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association, the Boston Online Film Critics Association, The Gay and Lesbian Entertainment Critics Association, and the Boston Theater Critics Association's Elliot Norton Awards Committee.
