‘Veep’ Producer Developing George Santos Movie for HBO

We haven’t seen the last of George Santos, it seems. The alleged thief and well-documented mythomaniac was expelled from Congress Friday, and a barn-burning cold open on last night’s Saturday Night Live seemed to shut the door on the 35-year-old Republican from New York. All that seemed left was his trial on 23 federal counts of theft of public funds, wire fraud, money laundering, and more—that is, until veteran satirist Frank Rich stepped into the picture.

Rich, who’s served as executive producer for funhouse-mirror HBO smashes such as Succession, will oversee a dramatic adaptation of The Fabulist, journalist Mark Chiusano’s new book on the improbable (or not?!?) rise of the ousted politician—who, arguably, might have been too over-the-top were he a character on one of Rich’s other shows, Veep.

The as-yet-unnamed Santos movie will also be an HBO joint, Deadline reports, as its HBO Films bought the option for Chiusano’s book. (Subtitled The Lying, Hustling, Grifting, Stealing, and Very American Legend of George Santos, The Fabulist was released on November 28, four days before 311 members of Congress voted to show Santos the door.) Another HBO standby, Mike Makowsky (Bad Education) will pen the “forensic and darkly comic” screenplay and co-executive produce; Chiusano will act as consulting producer.

Casting has yet to be announced for the film, which Deadline characterizes as currently “in development.” Slews of social media users are already proposing Harvey Guillén (What We Do In The Shadows) for the lead, with Schitt’s Creek co-creator Dan Levy also in the suggestion box. 

Presumably, SNL’s Bowen Yang is also in the conversation, but it’s unclear if he’d be interested: speaking with Seth Meyers in early 2023 about his ongoing role on the show as Santos, even Yang questioned his own casting. “He has glasses, and we both have a gross nasally voice. So, like, maybe I’m the guy?”

“You can’t get a hold on him as a person,” Yang said. “You’re like, ‘Who is this guy? … what is this guy’s deal?’”