From the deep recesses of the Internet came one of those rumours that we really, really hoped was true. For it’d been suggested that a movie of The West Wing is potentially on the way, and had even started filming.
The fuel for this rumour was Joshua Malina’s Twitter feed. Malina, who played Will Bailey in the show, Tweeted pictures of the cast getting together over the weekend. With a production crew in the background, cast members such as Richard Schiff, Bradley Whitford and Allison Janney appeared in the pictures. And Malina added the teasing Tweet, “I can't say what super-secret set I'm on, but it rhymes with Bwest Bwing Bmovie”.
Arguably, there’s already been a film of sorts of The West Wing. The Aaron Sorkin-penned The American President, a cracking romantic comedy, put many of the building blocks for the TV show in place (Martin Sheen was in a supporting role in the movie). After the film’s release, it wasn’t long before The West Wing hit TV screens for the first time, and over seven seasons, it delivered some quite brilliant moments. Two Cathedrals remains one of the best episodes of television we’ve ever, ever seen. More on that here.
Anyway, back to the story in hand. Not unsurprisingly, Malina’s Twitter work set off reports that work had begun on a movie of The West Wing. Sadly, though, this one’s not to be. At least, not yet. Richard Schiff’s Twitter feed subsequently revealed it to be a PSA that was being shot (we’re assuming that’s ‘public service announcement’, as opposed to ‘production start announcement’).
Still: a West Wing movie. If we shout loudly enough, might it happen?
Joshua Malina is on Twitter, here.
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