Gaslit Trailer: Julia Roberts And Sean Penn Get Caught Up In Watergate
There's a new series about abuse of power, covert conspiracies, and political intrigue on the horizon. The newest official trailer for "Gaslit," an upcoming limited series from STARZ, just dropped, and the show centers on the Watergate scandal, which can be deemed as one of the most disruptive events in American history.
However, the core focus of the narrative here is Martha Mitchell (Julia Roberts), celebrity socialite and wife to Richard Nixon's loyal Attorney General, John Mitchell (Sean Penn), as well as the role she played in highlighting hidden secrets which caused a presidency to unravel.
Check out the trailer for "Gaslit" below, which is an apt title for the events that went down after Martha publicly sounded the alarm on Nixon's involvement in the Watergate scandal.
Taking down a presidency
"Gaslit" has been adapted from the first season of the Slate podcast "Slow Burn" by Leon Neyfakh. Instead of taking the approach of a straight-cut, Wikipedia-like rundown, "Gaslit" approaches the scandal from varying angles, exposing the hidden characters and figures who were involved, and the roles they played in the frantic cover-up. Roberts' Martha is portrayed exactly how you would expect her to be: bold, opinionated, and unafraid to make a public stand against those who attempt to bury the truth. Every character has their own truth (or untruth) to hide and tell, all of which will develop over the course of the series.
This, of course, is not the first time that the Watergate story has been brought to life on-screen, as it is a topic that incited much interest and fascination over the decades. Standout films include Alan J. Pakula's 1976 movie "All the President's Men," which went on to be nominated for multiple awards, and Steven Spielberg's 2017 "The Post," which ended with a sequence depicting the Watergate burglary that precipitated Nixon's eventual resignation. Based on the trailer for "Gaslit," the show will most likely broaden the conversation surrounding the scandal, delving deeper into the many truths embedded within the fabric of political corruption and cover-ups.
"Gaslit" is being helmed by director Matt Ross, and stars Dan Stevens, Betty Gilpin, Shea Whigham, Allison Tolman, Chris Messina, Hamish Linklater, and Patton Oswalt, alongside Penn and Roberts. Check out the official synopsis for the show below:
"Gaslit is a modern take on Watergate that focuses on the untold stories and forgotten characters of the scandal – from Nixon's bumbling and opportunistic subordinates to the deranged zealots aiding and abetting their crimes to the tragic whistleblowers who would eventually bring the whole rotten enterprise crashing down. The story will center on Martha Mitchell, played by Julia Roberts. A big personality with an even bigger mouth. Martha is a celebrity Arkansan socialite and wife to Nixon's loyal Attorney General, John Mitchell, played by Sean Penn. Despite her party affiliation, she's the first person to publicly sound the alarm on Nixon's involvement in Watergate, causing both the Presidency and her personal life to unravel."
"Gaslit" will premiere on STARZ on April 24, 2022.