Mark Felt – The Man Who Brought Down the White House centers on “Deep Throat”, the pseudonym given to the notorious whistleblower for one of the greatest scandals of all time, Watergate. The true identity of the secret informant remained a mystery and source of much public curiosity and speculation for more than 30 years. That is until, in 2005, special agent Mark Felt shockingly revealed himself as the tipster. This unbelievable true story chronicles the personal and professional life of the brilliant and uncompromising Felt, who risked and ultimately sacrificed everything – his family, his career, his freedom – in the name of justice.
Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House is a 2017 American biographical spy thriller film, directed and written by Peter Landesman, and based on the 2006 autobiography of FBI agent Mark Felt, written with John O’Connor. The film depicts how Felt became an anonymous source (“Deep Throat”) for reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, and helped them in the investigation which led them to the Watergate scandal. The film stars Liam Neeson, Diane Lane, Tony Goldwyn, and Maika Monroe. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, and was theatrically released on September 29, 2017, by Sony Pictures Classics.
This film about FBI agent Mark Felt, known as Deep Throat, who was an informant for reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, was announced on January 24, 2006, written by Peter Landesman. The film was to be directed by Jay Roach for Universal Pictures and Playtone, and Tom Hanks and Gary Goetzman were attached as producers. On November 3, 2015, it was announced that Landesman would direct Felt himself, based on his script. Liam Neeson was cast in the title role.
MadRiver Pictures financed the film and also produced it, along with Scott Free Productions, Playtone, and Cara Films, and producers Ridley Scott, Goetzman, Hanks, Giannina Scott, Marc Butan, Christopher Woodrow, Roach, and Landesman. On November 5, 2015, Diane Lane was cast to play Felt’s brilliant and troubled wife, Audrey, who shares the burden of Felt’s dangerous dilemma about the White House’s Watergate scandal. On November 6, 2015, Jason Bateman joined the film to play an FBI agent and Felt lieutenant, Charlie Bates, who suspects that Felt is leaking classified information on the Watergate investigation. On December 9, 2015, Maika Monroe also joined the cast, as Felt’s daughter Joan.
On April 29, 2016, a complete cast was announced; Tony Goldwyn as FBI intel chief Ed Miller; Kate Walsh as Miller’s wife, Pat; Josh Lucas as Charlie Bates, replacing Bateman; Michael C. Hall as John Dean; Marton Csokas and Tom Sizemore as Felt’s rivals at the FBI, Pat Gray and Bill Sullivan, respectively; Wendi McLendon-Covey as Felt’s secretary, Carol Tschudy; Ike Barinholtz as head of the Watergate investigation, Angelo Lano; Bruce Greenwood as Time magazine reporter Sandy Smith; Brian d’Arcy James as FBI special agent Robert Kunkel; Noah Wyle as Stan Pottinger; and Colm Meaney and Eddie Marsan as CIA agents, though Meaney did not appear in the finished film. Felt’s real-life grandson Will Felt also appears in a background cameo as a CIA agent, and Daniel Pemberton composed the film’s score.
In May 2017, Sony Pictures Classics acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film. It premiered as part of the Special Presentations section at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, and was theatrically released in the United States on September 29, 2017.
Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House (2017)
Directed by: Peter Landesman
Starring: Liam Neeson, Diane Lane, Marton Csokas, Ike Barinholtz, Tony Goldwyn, Tom Sizemore, Bruce Greenwood, Michael C. Hall, Brian d’Arcy James, Josh Lucas, Eddie Marsan, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Maika Monroe
Screenplay by: Peter Landesman
Production Design by: David Crank
Cinematography by: Adam Kimmel
Film Editing by: Tariq Anwar
Costume Design by: Lorraine Calvert
Set Decoration by: Kristie Thompson
Music by: Daniel Pemberton
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for some language.
Distributed by: Sony Pictures Classics
Release Date: September 29, 2017
