Who Tells Women’s Stories? Charlize Theron Responds to ‘Bombshell’ Being Written, Directed by Men

Zack Sharf

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The upcoming drama “Bombshell” stars Charlize Theron, Margot Robbie, and Nicole Kidman in the true story of Roger Ailes’ sexual harassment at Fox News. Theron and Kidman star as Megyn Kelly and Gretchen Carlson, respectively, two former Fox News anchors who came forward to accuse Ailes of sexual misconduct. The allegations led to Ailes’ resignation and forever changed the Fox News corporate structure.

“Bombshell” features a cast led by woman and a storyline told from a distinctly female point of view, and yet some moviegoers and critics have raised a potential issue with the movie because it is written and directed by two men: Charles Randolph and Jay Roach. Conversations about who gets to tell women’s stories on the big screen have increased over the last couple years. In a new interview with The New York Times, “Bombshell” star and producer Theron weighs in on the topic after reporter Kyle Buchanan mentions the film is the brainchild of two men. Theron mentions that her first instinct would have been to find a woman writer had she been the one to develop the project from the start, but that wasn’t the case. Theron boarded as a producer based on the strength of Randolph’s script.

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“But this is such a great example of how we should not compartmentalize these stories to just one particular sex being able to tell it,” Theron said. “I want to see more opportunity for female writers and filmmakers, but I also think that it’s a mistake to isolate men completely from that process. When you find the right man to tell that story, there’s real value in that.”

Theron continued, “Listen, we should always question this stuff, and I’m totally open to the conversation around it, but if I had to do it all over again, I would do it exactly the same way. The men in my life are incredibly compassionate and ask questions about things in a way that is inspiring to me. Why would I eliminate that interest?”

Theron’s performance as Megyn Kelly in “Bombshell” has already made her a favorite to land an Oscar nomination for Best Actress. Lionsgate is opening “Bombshell” in select theaters on December 13 before a nationwide push December 20.

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