Ursula Macfarlane’s take on Harvey Weinstein, his power in Hollywood, and how he used said power to prey on and abuse women is heading to Hulu. The Hollywood Reporter confirms the streamer has secured U.S. rights to Macfarlane’s Weinstein documentary “Untouchable” in a seven-figure deal.
Embankment Films will release the Lightbox title theatrically in international markets before its debut on Hulu. Also a BBC co-production, “Untouchable” will air in the UK on BBC following its theatrical run.
The doc chronicles the sexual assault allegations made against Weinstein for decades that were ignored, paid off, or intimidated away until fall 2017, when exposés on the mogul were published and galvanized the resurgence of the #MeToo movement. “Untouchable” will also feature accusers who are just now sharing their stories.
“We are thrilled that ‘Untouchable’ has been acquired by Hulu, which is the perfect home in the U.S. for a film which should serve both as a cautionary tale for the younger generation and an enduring example of how seemingly unchecked power can be held to account when courageous people choose to speak out,” said producers and Lightbox co-founders Simon Chinn and Jonathan Chinn.
“When the news of Weinstein’s decades-long alleged assaults on women broke in October 2017, it felt personal. These allegations of assault, abuse, and intimidation were horribly familiar to me and to many of my friends,” Macfarlane told Women and Hollywood, explaining why she wanted to make “Untouchable.” “Here was an opportunity to explore this age-old story and to shine a spotlight on the industry which I love and am proud to work in. I was shocked to discover the extent of Weinstein’s alleged abuses and my immediate reaction was to question how it happened and how he got away with it for so long,” she revealed.
“One Deadly Weekend in America,” “West Side Stories: The Making of a Classic,” “Abortion: The Choice,” and the BAFTA-nominated “Breaking Up with the Joneses” are among MacFarlane’s previous credits.
“Untouchable” premiered at Sundance this year. No word on a Hulu release date yet.
