Quibi is making a series about fake news and its impact on the 2016 presidential election.
The short-form content platform has issued a series order for “Clickbait” (working title), which tells the true story of a group of Macedonian teenagers who made a fortune creating fake news in the run-up to the 2016 election. “Clickbait” will explore the profound effect their work had on the American election and on their own lives. “The Batman” director Matt Reeves is on board to executive produce alongside Ann Ruark (“Boy Erased”).
“Dunkirk” and “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” alum Fionn Whitehead headlines the cast as Niko, one of the Macedonian teenage ringleaders. Niko is described as a young man desperate to escape his circumstances, who discovers that publishing fake news could be his golden ticket.
The show will be directed Mark Molloy (whose credits are almost entirely commercials), and written by Adam Sorin (who recently served as Reeves’ writers’ assistant on “The Batman”). 6th & Idaho and Stampede Ventures are producing the project, with Greg Silverman and Paul Shapiro executive producing for Stampede, and Reeves and Kassan for their 6th & Idaho banner. It’s worth noting Silverman was the one who cast Whitehead in Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk.”
News of the series comes amid production uncertainties for Reeves’ mega “Batman” picture. Back in April, Warner Bros. announced its decision to move “The Batman,” which will star Robert Pattinson as the caped crusader, back to Oct. 1, 2021.
Quibi has been making headlines recently for its latest series which sees a star-studded cast recreate scenes from “The Princess Bride” from home. The first episode, which starred the likes of Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, Chris Pine and Annabelle Wallis, and Tiffany Haddish and Common, launched earlier this week.