New York (AFP)
The US cable channel HBO has given the go-ahead for the production of a mini-series on the Watergate scandal, which brought down President Richard Nixon, with actors Woody Harrelson and Justin Theroux headlining.
"The White House Plumbers" was imagined and written by two writers at work on another HBO series, "Veep", Alex Gregory and Peter Huyck.
The two comedians will also be executive producers of the mini-series announced Thursday, while the Democrats seek to dismiss Donald Trump, 45 years after the resignation of Richard Nixon who wanted to avoid a certain dismissal.
Another former "Veep", David Mandel, will ensure the realization, according to elements forwarded Thursday by HBO to AFP.
The mini-series will be starring Woody Harrelson, seen in particular in "3 Billboards, Panels of Vengeance" or the series "True Detective", and Justin Theroux, noticed in the series of HBO "The Leftovers".
The story will focus on the underground cell created by the Nixon administration, often referred to as "The White House Plumbers" because its officials initially chose to pose as plumbers.
It was men from this group who broke into the offices of the National Democratic Party Headquarters, located in a building called Watergate, in May and June 1972, to put microphones in the building.
The mini-series will focus on E. Howard Hunt and G. Gordon Liddy, the two leaders who coordinated this operation.
After the arrest of five of their men on June 17, 1972, Howard Hunt and Gordon Liddy were both prosecuted and sentenced to stiff prison terms.
It was the aftermath of this case and Richard Nixon's attempts to obstruct the investigation that led to the US President's removal from office. Even before the end of the proceedings, Nixon chose to resign in August 1974.
The Watergate scandal has already given rise to several TV movies and feature films, the most famous being Alan Pakula's "Men of the President" (1976), which has won four Oscars.
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