HBO recently aired the documentary The Inventor: Out For Blood In Silicon Valley, revolving around the rise and fall of Theranos and its founder Elizabeth Holmes. The absurd true story shocked millions, and Hulu has sensed an opportunity. They are developing a scripted form of the story; a limited series titled The Dropout.
The big news is that SNL‘s Kate McKinnon has signed on to play the lead role of Holmes. The Theranos founder tricked investors into funding her company whose product could never work, and was eventually arrested. The documentary also explores how much employees did or didn’t know, as well as Holmes’ bizarre personal ticks, such as putting on a baritone voice or intensely staring without blinking.
It’s hard to think of a better choice for the role than McKinnon. On SNL she’s excelled at playing both outlandish fictional characters and satirically lampooning real-life figures, and this is kind of like a mix of that.
The Dropout will be a limited series between six to ten episodes, and is based on the podcast of the same name that aired in January. The series will be a collaboration between the ABC News trio behind the podcast: host/creator Rebecca Jarvis, and producers Taylor Dunn and Victoria Thompson.
Styling herself as the new Steve Jobs, Holmes continues to deny any wrongdoing. She’s currently facing up to 20 years in jail, so this story will continue to capture the public’s attention.
Hulu have cashed in on scripted forms of true stories in the past. When HBO aired a documentary about the twisted relationship between Dee Dee Blanchard and her daughter Gypsy Rose, the streaming platform launched The Act, their scripted take on the events. They’ll be hoping for similar success with The Dropout.
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