This just in: An HBO movie about the life and times of defrocked congressman George Santos is in the works.
And the good news is Frank Rich, known for his work as an executive producer on "Veep" and "Succession," is executive producing the film adaptation, with "Bad Education" screenwriter Mike Makowsky on board to write and executive produce the project, which will be based on Mark Chiusano's nonfiction book "The Fabulist: The Lying, Hustling, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos."
The announcement came less than a week after Santos became the sixth lawmaker ever expelled from the House of Representatives, following a House Ethics Committee report that determined that he had lied about his background, defrauded donors and used campaign money to fund an extravagant lifestyle that included Botox injections, personal travel and subscriptions to the gig economy porn site OnlyFans.
Santos has also been indicted on felony counts of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making materially false statements to the House of Representatives. He has denied wrongdoing.
HBO says the film will be a "forensic and darkly comic ... Gatsby-esque journey of a man from nowhere who exploited the system, waged war on truth and swindled one of the wealthiest districts in the country to achieve his American dream." No word on who might play the besieged Santos, although Bowen Yang has won the hearts and minds with his portrayal of Santos on "Saturday Night Live."
Or maybe the famous polymath can play himself?
Elsewhere in the is section we have a review of "Waitress," otherwise known as "Waitress: The Musical," which is opening in theaters today. It's simply a live stage recording of Sara Bareilles and Jessie Nelson's 2015 musical of the same name, which was based on the 2007 film of the same name written and directed by Adrienne Shelly.
In our kitchen we still have a promotional pie server that was used to hype the original film, which starred Keri Russell, Nathan Fillion, Cheryl Hines, Jeremy Sisto, Andy Griffith and Shelly herself. (Shelly was tragically killed by a construction worker who tried to make her death look like a suicide a couple of months before the film premiered at the 2007 Sundance Film Festival. The things I remember ... )
The other big offering this week is animation master Hayao Miyazaki's "The Boy and the Heron," a comeback movie that arrives a full decade after the Oscar-nominated "The Wind Rises" -- which Miyazaki loudly proclaimed to be his last feature. It's reviewed elsewhere in this section.
And we also have Philip Martin's take on "Dream Scenario," which is still showing in local theaters.
On other screens this week:
"In the Court of the Crimson King: King Crimson at 50" (not rated, 1 hour, 26 minutes, On Demand) This fascinating rock documentary reveals intimate details of life for members of cult band King Crimson on the occasion of the group's 50th year. With Robert Fripp, Adrian Belew, Bill Bruford, Mel Collins; produced and directed by Toby Amies.
"American Symphony" (not rated, 1 hour, 44 minutes, Netflix) Heart-tuggingly emotional without being syrupy, this absorbing documentary tells the story of multi-instrumentalist Jon Batiste who in in 2022 was the most celebrated artist of the year; while immersed in the formidable challenge of composing American Symphony, his life partner, best-selling author Suleika Jaouad, learns that her long-dormant cancer has returned. Directed by Matthew Heineman.
"Memories for Life -- Reversing Alzheimer's" (not rated, 1 hour, 25 minutes, AppleTV, Amazon Prime Video, Vudu, Google Play) This informative documentary concerns a novel therapy developed by American neurologist Dr. Dale Bredesen that uses expanded lab data to generate personalized protocols allowing Alzheimer's patients to regain their memories, and questions why it isn't being embraced by more traditional medical researchers. Narrated by Michael Bublé; written and directed by Hideyuki Tokigawa.
"The Mission" (PG-13, 1 hour, 43 minutes, Hulu, Disney+) A forceful, compelling documentary that investigates the death by arrows of 26-year-old American missionary John Chau while he was attempting to contact the voluntarily isolated Sentinelese on remote North Sentinel Island, part of an Indian archipelago. Directed by Amanda McBaine and Jesse Moss.
"Waikiki" (not rated, 1 hour, 17 minutes, On Demand) This intriguing film festival-winning drama upends the image of Honolulu's Waikiki as a tropical tourist paradise by revealing the trauma of post-colonial cultures through a combination of genre conventions, experimental storytelling, and perspective. With Danielle Zalopany, Peter Shinkoda, Jason Quinn, Kimo Kahoano; written and directed by Christopher Kahunahana.
Email: kmartin@adgnewsroom.com