ICYMI: Charlize Theron is Almost Unrecognizable as Megyn Kelly in 'Bombshell' Trailer!

Awards Season is almost upon us, and that means every studio from Netflix to Fox Searchlight will be churning out their best titles to compete for all that gold. The 2020 Oscar race is starting to heat up with the arrival of many tantalizing teasers. Some of these highly-anticipated titles include The King, The Irishman, Ad Astra, and so many more great films that will surely have a significant impact with voters. But one to keep an eye out for is the one based on the real scandal. Now entering the competition with a whisper is the Jay Roach-directed film Bombshell, which stars Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman, and an almost unrecognizable Charlize Theron. It chronicles the Roger Ailes Fox News scandal, and the subject matter here is coming out at the perfect time. In an age where this type of behavior is no longer tolerated, films like this are necessary to continue spreading awareness and the need for change. While the first promo doesn’t show much, it goes out of its way to give every viewer a taste of the unnerving tension to come.

Noticeably absent in the trailer is the Fox News head honcho himself. In the film, he will be played by John Lithgow, and all of his supporters throughout the network all have actors bringing them to life onscreen. But thanks to the office atmosphere and the giant Fox News sign, the presence of the vile CEO is definitely felt throughout the tease. Interestingly enough, this is just essentially a single sequence with almost no dialogue. Yet the trailer still finds a way to pull off a very unsettling vibe due to the uneasy musical score as well as the body language of Robbie's fictional character, Kayla Pospisil. She's clearly uncomfortable during her elevator ride, most likely because of the less-than stellar work environment. Alongside her feeling the awkward tension is Kidman, who is portraying Gretchen Carlson, the anchor who filed a lawsuit against Ailes. And if you can’t tell who Theron is playing, it's probably because you didn't even know she was in the trailer until you saw her name pop up. Yup, that's not Megan Kelly, that is the great and powerful Charlize doing what she does best, going hard in the paint. 

Theron’s makeup alone, I feel, makes Bombshell a frontrunner for the Best Makeup award. I mean, I had to pause the trailer at several parts, and I still didn't believe it was Charlize under there. Her eerie transformation into the famous news anchor will make her performance that much more of a treat for audiences. The resemblance is unbelievably uncanny and speaks to the effort the people behind this production went to make sure this story gets told the right way. Theron has been a powerhouse when it comes to acting for some time now, and she shows little signs of slowing down. She has proven that she can venture out into any genre, from comedy to sci-fi and then back to awards-caliber projects, without breaking a sweat. Her makeup job is incredibly awards-worthy, which will inevitably result in what could be another shot at an Oscar for the prolific actress. Last time she had makeup that made her look unrecognizable, she amazed audiences with her game-changing performance in Monster. It's nice to see Theron will be bringing her A-game in Bombshell.

While most films are starting their runs with the many prestigious fall festivals, Bombshell has not been a part of any of these impressive lineups. This makes gauging its chances a bit difficult even though throughout the preview it makes it known that this is an Oscar play. Besides the actresses being seasoned vets when it comes to the awards game, screenwriter Charles Randolph has received some Oscar glory of his own. He got his statue for his work on The Big Short. His writing was able to take a very dark period in our nation's history and translate it all into a thought-provoking motion picture that was also very entertaining. While the Fox News/Ailes ordeal is a much different beast to tackle, it's nice to know the film’s scribe knows how to spin these political situations the right way to get through to today's audience. All in all, I’d say that Bombshell has everything it needs to resonate well with voters and audiences when it releases this December.