2019-10-16 The Hollywood Reporter

Behind the Headlines

The Report

THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER 22 OCTOBER 16, 2019

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W

ith Noah Oppenheim on the hot

seat as Ronan Farrow’s b ombshel l

book Catch and Kill (out Oct. 15)

dominates the news cycle, a closer look is

being paid to the NBC News president’s gig

as a screenwriter. In light of claims that

Oppenheim and NBC News/MSNBC chair-

man Andy Lack squashed reporting carried

out by Farrow and his NBC News producer,

Rich McHugh, about Harvey Weinstein’s

alleged sexual predation, one question being

asked around town is whether former scribe

Oppenheim, 41, whose cred-

its include the indie hit Jackie

as well as several unproduced

screenplays, was influenced

by Weinstein’s presence in the

prestige film space. Back in 2016,

Weinstein expressed interest in acquiring

Jackie (starring Natalie Portman as Jackie

Kennedy) when distribution rights were

available, according to sources vying for the

film at the time. At the Cannes Film Festival

that year, the Jackie filmmakers presented

footage to potential distributors. One buyer

who was in the room recalls Weinstein being

let in first before other suitors so that he could

get the best seat. “I remember him leaving,

in whispers, seemingly interested,” says this

buyer. But another source says Weinstein

never made a formal offer. (The film sold to

Fox Searchlight.)

Speaking with THR, Oppenheim says, “I’ve

never had any relationship of any kind with

Harvey Weinstein and never wanted one.

Never worked for him, never tried to work for

him, never wanted to work for him. I sold the

script for Jackie to Fox Searchlight in 2010,

six years prior to its release, and had zero

subsequent role in seeking financing or distri-

bution. I’ve never attended the Cannes festival,

and to invoke someone’s alleged, unpursued

interest there — a non-event completely

outside my control or awareness — fuels the

worst kind of conspiracy-mongering.”

Over the years, Oppenheim — a one-time

development executive for the production

company Reveille — landed some coveted

Noah Oppenheim (right) has denied that the network quashed a

Weinstein report and covered up claims against Matt Lauer.

As Noah Oppenheim hits back at the allegation the network buried reporting on

Harvey Weinstein, the exec’s screenwriting career receives scrutiny BY TATIANA SIEGEL

NBC News Chief’s Writing Gigs

Add Drama to Farrow Flap

ABC’s GMA boasts a slightly higher favorability than To d a y in a new survey as the network goes into damage control over Farrow’s claims

Americans Divided Over Matt Lauer Fallout, NBC Response

Source: THR/Morning Consult poll conducted Oct. 10-13 among a nationally representative sample of 2,200 adults.

STRONGLY

APPROVE

SOMEWHAT

DISAPPROVE

SOMEWHAT

APPROVE

STRONGLY

DISAPPROVE

FAVORABLE UNFAVORABLE

DON’T KNOW/

NO OPINION

47%

42%

42%

23%

23%

26%

What do you

think of NBC’s

response

to sexual

harassment/

assault claims

made against

Matt Lauer in

Ronan Farrow’s

book?

What do you

think of Lauer’s

open-letter

reply to claims

against him?

Morning Show Showdown

screenwriting jobs, adapting YA tentpoles

like 2014’s The Maze Runner for Fox and 2016’s

Allegiant for Lionsgate. On the TV front,

Oppenheim was hired to write and exec

produce the biblical drama series Promised

Land for Amazon. However, the project never

got off the ground. He’s been repped by CAA

and Management 360, and is a member of the

WGA with several scripts in various stages

of development, including The Secret Life of

Houdini at Studio 8 and Citizen Ward (about

the head of a struggling TV network who

takes a chance on a news anchor in hopes of

boosting his ratings).

The last thing that NBC News needs nearly

two years after the tumult caused by Matt

Lauer’s departure amid sexual misconduct

claims is any further tarnishing of the To d ay

brand, which is enormously profitable. The

morning show outpaces CBS This Morning

but trails rival Good Morning America among

total viewers — 3.6 million to 3.7 million

during the third quarter — while holding

only a slight edge in the news demo of adults

25-to-54. It’s a similar scenario in primetime,

where Lester Holt’s nightly news telecast

manages a slight advantage in the demo

despite placing a more distant second to

ABC’s David Muir in audience rankings.

So far NBC News is doubling down on its

offensive against Farrow, 31. In an Oct. 14 note

to employeees, Oppenheim called Farrow’s

Weinstein accusation a “conspiracy theory”

and the book a “smear.” Farrow, meanwhile,

has been interviewed by both CBS This Morning

and Good Morning America. Appearing on CBS

on Oct. 14, Farrow described Catch and Kill as

“an extraordinarily, meticulously fact-checked

work of investigative journalism,” adding,

“We’re very confident in it.”

THR/Morning Consult Poll

NBC’s To d ay

ABC’s Good

Morning America

CBS This Morning

18%

25%

16%

10%

30%

7%

22%

16%

14%

40%

Lack

Lauer

ABC’s

Robin

Roberts