Mike Fleming

The producers intend to frame the movie in the vein of All The President’s Men. One of the planned film’s hooks is that some of the journalists are themselves Catholic and were conflicted as they researched and wrote their stories. This journalism angle seems a fascinating way to approach the topic. And, interestingly, the Boston Globe investigative team was headed by Ben Bradlee, Jr., son of the legendary Washington Post editor who stood behind Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein when their Watergate reporting was assailed by Richard Nixon’s White House.

The production companies Anonymous Content and Rocklin/Faust have made deals to develop the feature film about the Catholic Church’s decades-long cover-up of its pedophile priest scandal that rocked the New England faithful. The producers acquired the life rights of the Boston Globe “Spotlight Team” of reporters and editors who were part of the team that shared the Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for meritorious public service for their reporting. The year-long investigation by The Globe of the cover-up, which was initially denied by church officials, reverberated all the way to the Vatican. It culminated in the emotional resignation of Cardinal Law, who acknowledged mistakes that could have prevented some of the abuse from occurring. It also opened the floodgates for exposure of other Catholic Church molestation scandals in Canada, Ireland, Chile and elsewhere.

Journalists including Bradlee Jr., Michael Rezendes, Walter Robinson, Sacha Pfeiffer, Matt Carroll and Globe editor Marty Baron will cooperate with the film. Anonymous Content’s Steve Golin and Michael Sugar will produce with Nicole Rocklin and Blye Faust. David Mizner brought the project to them and will be a consultant. The production companies will package the project before looking for financing.