THR is reporting that director Barry Levinson is bringing his 1997 political satire Wag the Dog to the small screen as a half-hour scripted comedy series for HBO. Rajiv Joseph (Army of One) is writing the script, and Levinson is set to serve as executive producer, as well as directing should it receive a pilot order from the cable network.
The original film starred Robert De Niro as a political strategist and spin doctor who hires a Hollywood producer (Dustin Hoffman) to craft a fictional war to draw attention away from the president’s sexual harassment scandal. Also featuring in the cast were Anne Heche, Denis Leary, Willie Nelson, William H. Macy and Kristen Dunst.
HBO describes the TV adaptation as “an ode to the classic film but moving the weapons of mass distraction beyond politics and into business, entertainment and, yes, nonprofits. In the 21st century with the tools of social media at their hands, nothing is off limits to a small group of operators when it comes to manufacturing reality. Fake news is so yesterday.”
Originally published April 30, 2017. Updated April 15, 2018.
