Meryl Streep, Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas set for thriller based on Panama Papers scandal
Meryl Streep will take the lead in The Laundromat, a Steven Soderbergh-directed thriller about the Panama Papers, The Guardian reports, citing The Hollywood Reporter.
The Oscar winner will potentially star alongside Gary Oldman and Antonio Banderas, who are both in early talks to join, in the fact-based tale, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The Panama Papers was a set of leaked documents that shared financial information of offshore entities, revealing fraud, tax evasion and attempts to avoid international sanctions.
The film will be based on Secrecy World: Inside the Panama Papers Investigation of Illicit Money Networks and the Global Elite, a book by journalist Jake Bernstein. It will be adapted by Scott Z Burns, a frequent Soderbergh collaborator whose credits include Contagion and Side Effects.
It’s not yet been announced what role Streep will play in the film but sources have claimed she will be the emotional throughline. The project doesn’t yet boast distribution but Netflix is reportedly interested. The streaming giant also bought the rights to another book on the Panama Papers with August Osage County director John Wells producing the adaptation.
To note, an investigation by The Guardian revealed a corruption scandal involving the Azerbaijani ruling elite who operated a secret $2.9bn (£2.2bn) scheme to pay prominent Europeans, buy luxury goods and launder money. The scheme has been nicknamed the Azerbaijani Laundromat.