Audible's Next Podcast Tells Story Of Movie Targeted By 1950s Hollywood Blacklist

New Podcast

AUDIBLE's next audio drama podcast is a seven-episode account of the "Red Scare" in 1950s HOLLYWOOD. "THE BIG LIE," co-produced by FRESH PRODUCE MEDIA, looks at the making of "SALT OF THE EARTH," the only movie named to the blacklist, and an FBI agent bent on taking the movie down. JOHN MANKIEWICZ ("HOUSE OF CARDS," "BOSCH," "HOUSE, M.D.") is serving as Exec. Producer of the series, with JON HAMM starring as the FBI agent and KATE MARA, ANA DE LA REGUERA, JOHN SLATTERY, BRADLEY WHITFORD, DAVID STRATHAIRN, GIANCARLO ESPOSITO, and LISA EDELSTEIN in the cast. The show will premiere on JUNE 16th.

MANKIEWICZ said, “Because this was such an important story of a dark, complicated time in a divided AMERICA, I’ve always felt I owed it to PAUL JARRICO and all the victims of the 'HOLLYWOOD Blacklist' to get it told in the best possible way. Audio was the perfect medium to bring THE BIG LIE to life, and FRESH PRODUCE MEDIA and AUDIBLE were the perfect team.”

HAMM said, "When JOHN and (director) AARON (LIPSTADT) came to me with the idea for THE BIG LIE, it was an automatic yes. Exploring the consequences of what happens when governments try to quiet the voices of the people -- especially working people -- is a theme that resonates with me deeply in 2022, so getting to both act in and Executive Produce this series was very rewarding. And getting to tell this story over audio, in a format that mirrors the way audiences might have actually heard it over the radio in the 1950s, made it all the more authentic."

Head of AUDIBLE STUDIOS ZOLA MASHARIKI said, “The talent assembled for THE BIG LIE -- from the renowned ensemble cast led by JON HAMM to the writing genius that is JOHN MANKIEWICZ -- is a testament to AUDIBLE’s commitment to celebrating unexpected formats and elevating audio entertainment at every turn.  We are so grateful to be the home to JOHN MANKIEWICZ’s first foray into this space and want to thank our team at FRESH PRODUCE for their collaboration on this provocative and brilliant narrative that takes our art form to new heights.”

FRESH PRODUCE Chief Content Officer COLIN MOORE added, “THE BIG LIE demonstrates the magic that can happen when storytellers from HOLLYWOOD and AUDIBLE come together to make an ambitious project. From the actors to the composer, casting director, and sound editor, we made something that we think will open the doors to new, exciting kinds of stories being told in audio. All together, the talent assembled off-and-on-mic for the show marks a major step forward in the narrative possibilities of audio, and the creative opportunities of the podcast genre to tell stories previously reserved for TV and film only.”

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