HBO’s ‘The Wizard of Lies,’ the Bernie Madoff drama directed by Barry Levinson, will drop May 20. Robert DeNiro and Michelle Pfeiffer star.
HBO’s take on the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme scandal will premiere in the coveted late May slot. Starring Oscar-winner Robert DeNiro and Oscar-nominee Michelle Pfeiffer, The Wizard of Lies will premiere Saturday, May 20, at 8pm ET. This slot provides the hotly anticipated property prime Emmy real estate. It will be fascinating to see how director Barry Levinson makes the property his own after last year’s ABC miniseries Madoff . HBO boasts the higher star wattage, though with DeNiro and Pfeiffer taking the roles played last year by Richard Dreyfuss and Blythe Danner. AwardsDaily TV anticipates the property will receive a warmer reception from the Television Academy. Levinson, DeNiro, and Pfeiffer all seem likely to factor into the Emmy conversation.
Here’s the official press announcement from HBO.
HBO has confirmed that the HBO Films presentation THE WIZARD OF LIES will debut SATURDAY, MAY 20 at 8:00 p.m. (ET/PT).
Starring Robert De Niro, who also serves as an executive producer, and Michelle Pfeiffer as Bernie and Ruth Madoff, the film examines Bernie Madoff’s Ponzi scheme — his deception, lies and cover-up, all as the financier’s wife and sons are catapulted into a harsh and unrelenting spotlight. Alessandro Nivola, Nathan Darrow, Kristen Connolly, Lily Rabe and Hank Azaria also star.
THE WIZARD OF LIES is directed by Barry Levinson, who also serves as executive producer along with Jane Rosenthal, Robert De Niro, Berry Welsh and Tom Fontana; Jason Sosnoff co-executive produces. Produced by Joseph E. Iberti. The film was written by Sam Levinson and John Burnham Schwartz and Samuel Baum, based on the book “The Wizard of Lies: Bernie Madoff and the Death of Trust,” written by Diana B. Henriques.