If there were two academy-award actors that were destined to star in director Steven Spielberg's next film, detailing the inner workings of US government's actions during the Vietnam War, it was Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks.
After all, the pair haven't exactly been subtle in voicing their political allegiances over the years, and most notably their views on the current White House administration, since President Donald Trump took to the Oval Office earlier this year.
Let's not forget Streep's Golden Globes speech last month which called out Trump's immigration ban that refused entry to the US for citizens from several Muslim-faith countries.
'Disrespect invites disrespect. Violence incites violence. When the powerful use their position to bully others, we all lose,' the 67-year-old actress told a room full of her contemporaries, resulting in the President referring to her as an 'overrated actress' and a 'Hillary flunky'.
Meanwhile, Tom Hanks has been vocal in being 'offended as a man' following Trump's explanation of 'locker room talk' and has even gifted an espresso machine to the White House Press Corps, encouraging them to continue fighting for truth, justice and 'the American way' in the face of Trump's administration.
So, it's about time the pair were let into the White House to fight for justice, even if it might be a fictional one of Spielberg's making.
According to Mashable, Hanks and Streep have been cast to lead The Post – a fact-based drama centering on the Pentagon Papers which was a classified Department of Defense study detailing the true extent of the U.S. government's actions in the Vietnam War.
Released in full in 2011, the formerly declassified papers were originally leaked by military analyst Daniel Ellsberg in 1971 and shed light on the Lyndon B. Johnson administration which indisputably lied to the public and Congress about the US' downward spiral during the 20-year-long war.
Despite attempts to prevent the New York Times and The Washington Post reporting the story by the Nixon administration, the Supreme Court ruled the First Amendment would allow the newspapers to publish the Papers.
In the ruling, Justice Hugo Lafayette Black wrote: 'Only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government.'
In light of the fact Trump called the media the 'most dishonest human beings on Earth', earlier this year, it's safe to say Spielberg's film couldn't have come at a more relevant time in modern-day history.
Spielberg will reportedly direct the film using Liz Hannah's script, according to Empire, which was acquired by producer Amy Pascal late last year, and will see Hanks playing real-life Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee and Streep as the paper's publisher, Kay Graham.
While it's yet to be confirmed when shooting will commence, we have a feeling you might want to clear your schedule next year. You won't want to miss this blockbuster for anything.
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
