HBO, Martin Scorsese to Give Bill Clinton Documentary Treatment

HBO is set to give president Bill Clinton the documentary treatment.

The premium cable network has teamed with Oscar winner Martin Scorsese, who will produce and direct the telepic with Clinton’s full cooperation. The film is set to explore the 42nd president’s perspectives on history, politics, culture and the world, both while he was in office and in the years since. Businessman, filmmaker and Democratic supporter Steve Bing will serve as a producer.

“President Clinton is one of the most compelling figures of our time, whose worldview and perspective, combined with his uncommon intelligence, make him a singular voice on the world stage,” said HBO CEO Richard Plepler and programming president Michael Lombardo in a joint statement. “This documentary, under Marty’s gifted direction, creates a unique opportunity for the president to reflect on myriad issues that have consumed his attention and passion throughout both his presidency and postpresidency.”

Added Scorsese: “A towering figure who remains a major voice in world issues, President Clinton continues to shape the political dialogue both here and around the world. Through intimate conversations, I hope to provide greater insight into this transcendent figure.”

The political entry marks Scorsese’s fourth collaboration with HBO, following the documentaries Public Speaking (2010) and the Emmy-winning George Harrison: Living in the Material World (2011) and the drama series Boardwalk Empire, for which he won a directing Emmy. 

This is not unfamiliar territory for HBO, which has become a go-to destination for political efforts, including such recent telepics as Recount and Game Change and the documentary 41, about Clinton’s predecessor, George H.W. Bush. In a bid for some of that cultural cachet, rival Showtime also is bulking up on its projects, with an upcoming — and high-profile — climate change doc series and Oliver Stone‘s  new Untold History of the United States.

Scorsese is repped by WME and Montone/Yorn.

Email: Lacey.Rose@THR.com; Twitter: @LaceyVRose

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