When the FIFA corruption scandal got the attention of the movie industry because of a film surrounding one corruption scandal reportedly in the works, you know the issue is getting big. Reports said the American side of the FIFA scandal is hitting the cinemas with Ben Affleck and Matt Damon as the producers.
The Hollywood Reporter said Affleck and Damon are producing the film with their Warners-based Pearl Street Films, while Guymon Casady and Darin Friedman will produce through Entertainment 360 production house.
The story will reportedly center around Chuck Blazer, a former American FIFA official who was involved in a FIFA corruption scandal worth milions of dollars and later turned on his companions and became an informant for the FBI.
To be directed by Gain O' Connor, the film will reportedly be sourced from a BuzzFeed investigative reporter's upcoming book about Blazer which is titled "Houses of Deceit."
Last month, nine officials of the sporting organization were indicted on various charges for the alleged FIFA corruption scandal. Among the charges were reportedly wide fraud and bribery. Sepp Blatter, FIFA President, was not charged however but the FIFA corruption scandal has made people question his credibility.
As one timely production, is this film that centers of a FIFA corruption scandal a stunt to further promote the sport more than exposing the truth?
In a report by USA Today, soccer fans believe the FIFA corruption scandal is "business as usual," citing fans who still bought tickets to the Women's World Cup in Canada as if the scandal is non-existent.
"I like that the Americans intervened, it was time to do this," 44-year-old Fouad Bendaoud said in the report by USA Today. "FIFA has always been corrupt, from even before Blatter was in charge so it's not a surprise today's news, it was something waiting to happen."
"Not a surprise, this sounds like the usual thing. I just come to expect this from FIFA," a certain Paul Jones also said in the report.
Scandal movies are receiving great accolades from the audiences. Prior to the film about the FIFA corruption scandal, a movie called "All The President's Men," which told the story of investigative journalists who stumbled upon a story worth pursuing for and turned out to be one of the biggest scandals in US politics.
It involved the Watergate scandal under the Nixon administration, and while the film urged law enforcement agencies to investigate, the impact brought positive impact especially among journalists.
A separate USA Today report about the Watergate scandal movie said journalism schools saw enrolment go up after the release of the movie. Another report said the film inspired journalism professionals and students to take the course.
How about a movie called, "All The (FIFA) President's Men?"
