HBO is set to give president Bill Clinton the documentary treatment.
The premium cable cable has teamed with Oscar winner Martin Scorsese, who will produce and direct the telepic with Clinton's full cooperation. The film is set to explore the 42nd president’s perspectives on history, politics, culture and the world, both while he was in office and in the years since. Businessman, filmmaker and Democratic supporter Steve Bing will serve as a producer.
“President Clinton is one of the most compelling figures of our time, whose world view and perspective, combined with his uncommon intelligence, make him a singular voice on the world stage. This documentary, under Marty’s gifted direction, creates a unique opportunity for the President to reflect on myriad issues that have consumed his attention and passion throughout both his Presidency and post-Presidency,” said HBO CEO Richard Plepler and programming president Michael Lombardo in a joint statement.
Added Scorsese: “A towering figure who remains a major voice in world issues, President Clinton continues to shape the political dialogue both here and around the world. Through intimate conversations, I hope to provide greater insight into this transcendent figure.”
The political entry marks Scorsese’s fourth collaboration with HBO, following the documentaries Public Speaking (2010) and the Emmy-winning George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011), as well as drama series Boardwalk Empire, for which he won an Emmy for directing.
This is not unfamiliar territory for HBO, which has become a go-to destination for political efforts, including such recent telepics as Recount, Game Change and 41, which centered on Clinton's predecessor, George H.W. Bush. In a bid for some of that cultural cache, rival Showtime is bulking up on its projects, too, with an upcoming -- and high-profile -- climate change doc series as well as an Oliver Stones' recently released Untold History of the United States.
Scorsese is repped by WME and Montone/Yorn.
Email: Lacey.Rose@THR.com; Twitter: @LaceyVRose
