Wag the Dog Series Heads to HBO

A Wag the Dog series, based on the 1997 feature film. is headed to HBO

Having found massive success with their small screen take on Michael Crichton’s 1973 Westworld, HBO is developing a television adapting a very different feature film. According to The Hollywood Reporter, a Wag the Dog series is on the way, based on the 1997 feature film directed by Barry Levinson. Levinson will return to the direct the Wag the Dog series with Robert De Niro, who headlined the film opposite Dustin Hoffman, set to serve as executive producer.

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According to the trade, HBO is officially describing their concept for the Wag the Dog series as follows:

“[Wag the Dog is] an ode to the classic film, but moving the weapons of mass distraction beyond politics and into business, entertainment, and yes, non-profits. 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.”

The original film was loosely based on the 1993 novel American Hero by Larry Beinhart. The film version stars De Niro as a political spin doctor who, in attempt to get the right candidate elected President, hires a film producer (Hoffman) to fake a war with Albania. The original novel was quite different, however, and imagined George Bush Sr. faking the Gulf War.

Draft Day scribe Rajiv Joseph is scripting the Wag the Dog series and is also set to serve as executive producer alongside De Niro, Levinson, Tom Fontana, Jane Rosenthal, Berry Welsh and Jason Sosnoff, the original film’s screenwriter. David Brock is set to serve as a consultant.

Does a Wag the Dog series sound like a show you’ll want to check out? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

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