During the final days of CNN+ as dies a slow death, on Monday, struggling host Chris Wallace invited Hollywood producer Brian Grazer on his show Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace and embarrassingly pressed him for a movie featuring his interviews with former President Trump. And the kicker? Grazer seemed very much open to working with him on the “project.”
To tee up his pitch for the movie, Wallace first played a clip of one of Grazer’s own films, Frost/Nixon, where actor Michael Sheen as journalist David Frost presses actor Frank Langella as President Richard Nixon on what crimes a president can get away with. “Wow. It’s still pretty – still pretty good isn’t it,” Wallace said to butter him up.
With Grazer’s agreement, Wallace jumped right to pressing for a film about himself, even reminding his guest that they’ve talked about it once before. Grazer was shocked that Wallace would bring it up this way:
WALLACE: So, I have to ask a question. When we got to know each other a little better, you said to me on time that you thought there was a possible project in Trump/Wallace.
GRAZER: I did. Wow, I didn’t know you’d bring that up. Umm—
“Did you really believe that,” Wallace sincerely want to know on the record.
Grazer confirmed that he “really [did] believe that.” “Your interviews with him were perfect,” he gushed to Wallace. “Well, okay. Thank you,” Wallace seemed to blush.
“Because you were able to, without any chip on your shoulder, you were able to talk directly and get direct answers like a little version of that,” Grazer continued to laud Wallace, pointing at the screen they watched the clip on.
With no shame, Wallace said that after their interview they should start pounding out the details:
WALLACE: So, maybe we’ll talk after the—
GRAZER: Yeah.
WALLACE: — the thing about going to do it.
And as Wallace was trying to shift gears, Grazer interjected to announce “Just to do it live in a stadium would be amazing.” “Yes,” Wallace agreed.
With the death of CNN+ and his career in Limbo, this might answer: what’s going to happen to Chris Wallace?
The transcript is below, click “expand” to read:
CNN+’s Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace
April 25, 2022
6:20:42 p.m. Eastern[Clip from Frost/Nixon]
BRIAN GRAZER: Wow.
CHRIS WALLACE: Wow. It’s still pretty – still pretty good isn’t it?
GRAZER: Yeah. Still pretty good.
WALLACE: So, I have to ask a question. When we got to know each other a little better, you said to me on time that you thought there was a possible project in Trump/Wallace.
GRAZER: I did. Wow, I didn’t know you’d bring that up. Umm—
WALLACE: Well, I’m just – Did you really believe that?
GRAZER: I really believe that. Your interviews with him were perfect.
WALLACE: Well, okay. Thank you.
GRAZER: They – Because you were able to, without any chip on your shoulder, you were able to talk directly and get direct answers like a little version of that.
WALLACE: So, maybe we’ll talk after the—
GRAZER: Yeah.
WALLACE: — the thing about going to do it. You know from this brief —
GRAZER: Just to do it live in a stadium would be amazing.
WALLACE: Yes.
(…)