The Blacklist era and the HUAC trials are a particularly dark chapter in Hollywood history and something that hasn't been tackled all that much.
It might be because there are still quite a few people who were alive during the era and, perhaps more pointedly, a lot of major studios were complicit in aiding Senator McCarthy and the HUAC investigations. One such person who was implicated was Dalton Trumbo, the Hollywood screenwriter who scripted Spartacus, Johnny Got His Gun and famously wrote Roman Holiday under a pseudonym.
Trumbo joined the Communist Party in 1943, at the height of the Red Scare in the US and was brought before HUAC. In 1950, he was charged with contempt of Congress and served 11 months in federal prison.
It's a fascinating subject and one that's ripe for a major retelling.
Director Jay Roach, who previously directed HBO's Sarah Palin drama Game Change and the pilot for The Brink, is in charge whilst Bryan Cranston will take on the role of Trumbo.
Take a look.
Don't be in the least bit surprised if Cranston gets an Oscar nomination for this. Not only does he share a physical similarity with him, he's got the mannerisms and that ragged energy too. There's also a top-tier cast that includes Louis CK, John Goodman, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Elle Fanning and Boardwalk Empire's Michael Stuhlbarg.
Trumbo is due for US release in November - bang-smack in the middle of awards season - and will probably have an Irish release date shortly afterwards.
