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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Jennifer Newton

Prince Andrew's bombshell Newsnight interview 'to become movie' and could star Hugh Grant

Prince Andrew's car crash interview on Newsnight is reportedly set to be turned into a movie - and could star Hugh Grant.

The story of how the BBC obtained the bombshell interview, where Andrew talked about his association with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, is said to become a film, with the title Scoop.

Andrew agreed to sit down with presenter Emily Maitlis on November 14, 2019, at Buckingham Palace, where he was questioned about his links with Epstein.

And the fall out from the interview, led to the Duke of York pledging to step back from public life - and he made no public appearances at his mother the Queen's recent Platinum Jubilee celebrations.

Prince Andrew talks to Emily Maitlis during an interview for BBC Newsnight in 2019 (BBC)

According to entertainment website Deadline, Scoop could star Hugh Grant as the prince - although casting has not begun and a director has not yet been appointed.

The film is being written by British screenwriter Peter Moffat, who told the publication the movie will be "about how the BBC’s Newsnight team got the scoop, then the actual filming of it".

He added: "The other thing is, ‘why did he agree to do it?’.

“How was it that he decided it was a good idea to do a great big long interview with Emily Maitlis on the BBC?”

Andrew talked about his association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein (BBC)

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News of the movie comes days after the woman who helped to negotiate the interview revealed how the chat came about.

Sam McAlister, who for 10 years was the interviews producer on the flagship BBC news programme, said that a smiling Andrew was so pleased with his performance immediately after the interview that he offered her, Ms Maitlis and the rest of the Newsnight team a tour of the palace.

It has been reported that Hugh Grant is in the frame to play Andrew in the movie (Getty Images for WarnerMedia)

The latest revelations about the interview come from the author's new book entitled Scoops: Behind The Scenes Of The BBC's Most Shocking Interviews.

In an extract published in the Daily Mail recalling the moments immediately after the cameras stopped rolling, she wrote: "I couldn't look at anyone. I could barely believe his people hadn't stopped the interview. I would have, despite the consequences."

In the interview, Andrew declined to say he regretted the friendship with Epstein, with his memorable answers including details of his visit to Pizza Express with daughter Princess Beatrice and saying he was medically unable to sweat.

Andrew vehemently denied any accusations of wrongdoing over his links to Epstein, including allegations he had sex with Virginia Giuffre when she was 17 years old.

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