If the royals weren't already having a bad week...

Yeesh. You'd think Buckingham Palace would be able to have a small breather from the chaos this morning after paparazzi footage showed Kate Middleton leaving a grocery store near her home in Windsor.

Well, think again.

The Netflix publicity department rarely misses a beat which is why they've no doubt capitalised on the increased appetite for all things British monarch. 

In what is sure to be a hit amongst the masses, Netflix has just released the trailer for their upcoming movie, Scoop. Based on Prince Andrew's infamous BBC Newsnight interview, Scoop promises to lift the veil on what went on behind the scenes before the footage aired and stunned the world.

Watch a snippet of the real interview here. Story continues below.

What is Scoop about?

Back in 2019, there was intense media speculation surrounding Prince Andrew's involvement with disgraced sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. 

Not only were his ties with Epstein under fire, but he was also facing litigation with a US civil action lawsuit brought against him by Virginia Giuffre who claimed he sexually assaulted her. 

As is customary with scandals of this nature, the Crown's public response was often tight-lipped and shrouded in mystery; however, Prince Andrew broke that tradition when he agreed to sit for a BBC Newsnight interview. 

It was a move he intended would clear his name — but as we now know, it did quite the opposite.

Scoop is based on BBC Newsnight producer Sam McAlister's book Scoops: Behind The Scenes of the BBC’s Most Shocking Interviews.

It will focus on what happened in the lead-up to the November 2019 interview with journalist Emily Maitlis and Prince Andrew.

Gillian Anderson and Rufus Sewell in Scoop. Image: Netflix.

The official plotline reads: "The inside track of the women that broke through the Buckingham Palace establishment to secure the scoop of the decade that led to the catastrophic fall from grace of The Queen’s 'favourite son'. 

"From navigating Palace vetoes to breaking through to Prince Andrew’s inner circle, the high stakes negotiations and intensity of rehearsal — to the jaw-dropping interview itself. 

"Scoop is the insider account of the inner workings of the Palace and the BBC, twin bastions of the British Establishment, spotlighting the journalists whose tenacity and guts broke through the highest of ceilings — and into the inner sanctum and calculations of a man with everything to lose."

Much like The Crown, Scoop promises to give an insight into what really happens when you're dealing with the royal family. 

Newsflash: they're just as messy as they've always been. Grab the popcorn and cucumber sandwiches.

Who stars in Scoop?

If Netflix was a monarch, Gillian Anderson would be queen. 

The streaming network has selected the best of the best to take on the meaty role of straight-talking journo Emily Maitlis. Given she played Margaret Thatcher in season four of The Crown it's safe to say she's got a knack for portraying characters tangentially connected to the royal family.

Your first look at SCOOP – a new film inspired by Prince Andrew's infamous Newsnight interview.

Starring Gillian Anderson, Billie Piper, Keeley Hawes and Rufus Sewell. pic.twitter.com/TCPhBSVI4F

— Netflix UK & Ireland (@NetflixUK) February 5, 2024

Elsewhere in the cast, you've got a pretty stellar lineup including Bafta nominee Rufus Sewell who dares to go where a lot of actors might not, as he steps into the shoes of Prince Andrew. 

What happens in the trailer for Scoop?

"An hour of television can change everything," begins the trailer. And they ain't wrong.

In our first look at Netflix's new film, the scene is set with producer McAlister chasing the biggest story in the nation with the aim to secure an interview that seemed impossible to land.

Check it out below:

"I thought that all went very well," Prince Andrew tells Maitlis at the end of the interview in Scoop. 

Of course, that optimism proved to be incredibly naïve as his reputation went crashing through the floor in the wake of the broadcast. 

Just months after the interview aired, Queen Elizabeth II stripped Prince Andrew of his HRH title.

When can I watch Scoop?

Scoop will be available to stream on Netflix on April 5.

Until then here's the original to remind yourselves exactly what a car-crash obliteration of reputation looks like played out in an interview.

Feature Image: Netflix.