The house that Shonda hardly built.
“The Residence”, the new mystery of murders of Shonda Rhimes in the White House, was heading in a dark direction before a surprising Hollywood sexual scandal stopped the dry dead series.
Inspired by the book of the same name of Kate Andersen Brower, the television Whodunnit was originally established as a political drama to the “Casa de Cards”, with Kevin Spacey attached to Produce, said Brower The Post.
Brower, who covered the administration of Obama, Begen wrote “La Residence” in 2012. The book documents the relationship above the personnel of the White House staff with US presidents and their families over the years. Full of juicy and hilarious stories from behind the doors closed in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, it became an instant sales success when it was reduced in April 2015. Shortly after, Hollywood came to call.
“For that summer [of 2015]Kevin Spacey had opted the [book’s] Rights, and this was the ‘house of cards’; This was pre-scandal, “Brower recalled, referring to the success of the Netflix series of Spacey before his fall in disgrace about accusations of sexual harassment and aggression.
Development in the “The Residence” Spacey version, which included former Fox News presenter, Meghor Kelly, as an executive producer of Got far enough for him and his production company, Trigger Street, hired the writings Lance Black A Pil de.
“It was great,” Brower said about Black, who won the 2009 Academy Award for the best original Pugo for Harvey Milk, starring Sean Penn, “Milk.”
“It was actually more a ‘card house’ [style show]”She added.” It was fiction. It was dark. It was not a comedy at all. “
“Lance wrote this wonderful pilot. [TV network] FX was involved. And then everything went to “know what.” “
In October 2017, actor Anthony Rapp accused Spacey of trying to “seduce him” in 1986, when Rapp was 14 years old and the “American Beauty” star was 24 years old. Spacey, now 65, apologized, but then retired to the Tituit in 2022. A jury dismissed the case. Spacey has also avoided criminal convictions. Some charges have fallen the bone and the ethers resulted as non -guilty verdicts. Despite the legal victories of thesis, about 50 people have accused him of misconduct, which he denies.
“Things were starting to crumble,” Brower recalled. “And in summary, FX did not pick it up.”
“Lance said:” It has been great to work with you. “It was heartbreaking for both of them because Hey was very collaborative. [White House] The staff and he wanted to know how I got these stories. Hey, it was wonderful. “
The television rights to “The Residence” sat on the shelf until 2018, when Rhimes opted for the book. Brower was euphoric when his agent called with the “incredible” news.
“I am very excited that it really happened,” he shared. “Many books are bought [to adapt for TV and film] And nothing happens. ”
Referring to his book “First women: the grace and power of the first modern ladies in the United States,” Brower revealed: “Reese Witherspoon had opted in a moment and never left [into production]. “
“It’s like throwing spaghetti into the wall. You just know it.”
Brower acknowledged that the adaptation of Rhimes of his book, starring Uzo Aduba, would be dramatically different from what Spacey planned.
“When I knew Shonda Rhimes was involved, he knew it would be lighter,” he said. “It would be more fun. It would become wonderfully; luxurious, like everything you do, and intelligent. So that was really exciting.”
Brower also praised the showrunner of “The Residence” Paul William Davies.
With Re -Family and husband in tow, the author visited the set in Los Angeles and with Davies.
“I had this very clear vision of what I wanted to do,” he said.
He thought Brower was not involved in the writing of the program, he trusted Davies and Rhimes with his book.
“When some as amazing as Shonda Rhimes come to you, you must trust that they know the best way,” he said. “And I didn’t do it because being one of those authors who can put on their own way and try to control [the show]. “
His faith in Davies and Rhimes was rewarded in the final edition.
“I love the show,” he said. “I think it is surprising what [Davies] Did. ”
Brower added that Davies perfectly captured the power structure “we against them” that he observed between residence personnel and the first family.
“That is the soul of the program,” he said.
The 8 episodes of “The Residence” are available to transmit now in Netflix.