LONDON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 22nd March, 2021) Phelim McAleer, producer of the upcoming film "My Son Hunter," tells Sputnik he would not be making a movie about the scandals linked to the US presidents son if US media had done their job.
In September, just as then-candidate Joe Biden's presidential campaign was in full swing, Republican Senators published a report, suggesting that Joe Biden's son Hunter and his partner received millions of Dollars of dubious origins. The report listed as such the sums received from a widow of an ex-Moscow mayor, a Ukrainian oligarch, a Kazakh businessman. The report alleged also that Biden was set to profit from working with people linked to the Chinese state. In October of the same year, New York Post published several emails addressed to Hunter Biden and suggesting that he introduced his father � back at the time when Joe Biden was a US vice president � to his employers at Ukrainian company Burisma. Ex-US President Donald Trump suggested that Hunter Biden made millions on providing access to his father.
McAleer has never met Biden himself, although he walks by his house every day on his way to the beach.
"I am a next-door neighbor of Hunter Biden's [in California]. He lives down the street from me," the producer says.
If he did meet Biden, he'd ask him some "journalistic questions," the producer says and goes on to give some examples.
"Are those emails that were published � are they genuine? Cause you've never denied their existence. Who is the big [guy]? In your email, you talk about giving 10 percent to the big guy. Is the 'big guy' Joe Biden, as your business partners have said? Did any members of the Biden family get money from you? Did any members of the Biden family use their political influence to advance your clients' needs? Just proper journalistic questions that journalists just don't seem to want to ask," McAleer says.
McAleer explains that he would like for the Hunter Biden story to become known. This could pave the way for discussions on whether the Biden family was corrupt.
"I'd like the story to be known, I'd like it to be widely covered in the media. I mean if the media did its job, we wouldn't be making a movie," the producer says.
The reason the media did not follow up on the story after it initially appeared in New York Post -- not even to debunk it, -- he says, is that they "were afraid of the answer."
"They didn't want Donald Trump to be president. It' as simple as that and as sad as that," McAleer says.
When asked if the media's reason for giving up on story was that they did not want to spoil the relationship with Joe Biden, McAleer replies, "It's even worse, they support him."
"From a cinematic point of view, it's a great, great, great story," McAleer says.
He then describes it as "Austin Powers" meets "King Lear" and "House of Cards."
"It's got everything. It's got exotic locations: America, Ukraine, China, Eastern Europe. It's got money, it's got power, it's got influence, it's got Trump, it's got so many cinematic elements. It's got strip-bars; it's got good-looking women. It's a movie just sitting there, ready to be made. And it's got real, real international significance," the producer says.
The movie will be very close to the real story, he continues.
"I mean we're not going to add any conspiracy theories, we're gonna stick as close as possible to the facts, with a little bit of leeway, the dramatic leeway, but the core story will be true," McAleer says.
The producer and his wife are conducting their own investigation.
McAleer and his wife Ann McElhinney have made several well-known movies. One of them, Gosnell, about US doctor and abortion provider Kermit Gosnell, was crowd-funded. About 30,000 donors collected a record $2.3 million. 'My Son Hunter' may do even better. McAleer and McElhinney are hoping to collect some $2.5 million in 60 days. If this goes as planned, the filming may begin this summer in Serbia.
The crowd-funding campaign began on March 16 and brought in nearly $300,000 in the first couple of days. An average donation amount is $70, but some donations were as large as several thousand. McAleer remarks that Hunter Biden's book Beautiful Things is set to be released on April 6, which could be good for the campaign, as it would ramp up internet searches.
As for casting, British actor Laurence Fox was offered the main part. It is unclear what will happen, though, as Fox has recently announced his plan to run for the mayor of London.
"Obviously, he's busy at the moment, but if the election in London does not turn out for him, we would be very, very keen on having him for the role. We have spoken to another well-known actor who's very, very keen to play the role of Joe Biden in the movie," McAleer says.
However, the producer adds he cannot reveal the name of that actor yet, or the name of the screenwriter for that matter. The writer asked not to mention his name until the work on the movie is done out of concern for "toxic blowback" and "haters." The search for the director is ongoing.
When asked if he would be interested in a movie about Julian Assange or Edward Snowden, McAleer picks Assange.
"I would distinguish between those two stories, actually. Julian Assange is a classic case of persecuted journalist. Edward Snowden is at best a disgruntled employee and at worst a traitor," McAleer says.
Assange had no duty of care and was not sworn to loyalty by any organization; he was "a journalist publishing material given to him," MaAleer argues.
"I think he should never have been charged. And I think Trump should have pardoned him. Journalists should be outraged by his treatment," McAleer says.
"I'd love to do an Assange story," the producer concludes.
