After receiving mixed reviews for his latest film, Don’t Look Up, which satirized America’s lackadaisacal response to climate change through the satirical lens of pending asteroid strike, Adam McKay is tackling another controversial topic: The January 6 insurrection. This time around, McKay will be acting as a producer while The Comey Rule director Billy Ray takes the helm for J6, which Ray originally envisioned as a miniseries after traveling to Washington D.C. to interview witnesses and participants of the MAGA riot including members of the Capitol Police.
Via Deadline:
Ray had originally expected to long look at the events of January 6 in the form of another limited series. Deeply affected by the attack, he traveled to Washington, D.C. within days of the siege, and interviewed a number of the key principals when memories were raw and fresh. That included Capitol police officers Michael Fanone and Harry Dunn, as well as members of Congress who were trapped inside the Capitol when the violent siege unfolded. Fanone consulted on the screenplay throughout the process.
According to Deadline, McKay was given the script while in the middle of preparing Don’t Look Up‘s release on Netflix. But despite his busy schedule, he was so “moved by the material and Ray’s passion” that he immediately came aboard as a producer.
“Billy has written a screenplay that is not only harrowing and terrifying but is sure to become the definitive cinematic document on that gut wrenching day,” McKay said.
(Via Deadline)