HBO to make film of Scientology book, hires 160 lawyers - CNN.com

HBO is backing a documentary based on "Going Clear," a book about Scientology and Hollywood -- and isn't taking any chances with the legal side of things.

"We have probably 160 lawyers" looking at the film, HBO Documentary Films President Sheila Nevins told The Hollywood Reporter. (HBO, like CNN, is a unit of Time Warner.)

"Going Clear," by Pulitzer Prize-winning writer Lawrence Wright ("The Looming Tower"), digs into the life of Scientology founder L. Ron Hubbard and the influence his church has had on its believers, many of whom have close ties to Hollywood.

Among Tinseltown's famous Scientologists are John Travolta and Tom Cruise.

HBO to make film of Scientology book, hires 160 lawyers - CNN.com

'Going Clear': A New Book Delves Into Scientology : NPR

"He really said that he wanted to take over the entire entertainment industry," Wright tells Fresh Air's Terry Gross, " ... but his dream grew larger when he established the Church of Scientology in Hollywood and set up the Celebrity Center with the goal of attracting notable celebrities. ... They wanted an exemplary Scientologist to show to the world, and ... you know, they did get some people like Gloria Swanson, the star of silent films, became a member. Rock Hudson came in the door for a while, and, in those early days, they were constantly patrolling for someone who could be the public face of Scientology."

'Going Clear': A New Book Delves Into Scientology : NPR


See also:
Lawrence Wright, staff writer for The New Yorker, reports on the Church of Scientology. The author, who interviewed over two hundred former and current Scientologists, examines the inner workings of the Church, recounts its history, and profiles its founder, the late science fiction writer, L. Ron Hubbard. Lawrence Wright speaks at Politics & Prose Bookstore in Washington, D.C. Lawrence Wright's Going Clear is a finalist for the 2013 National Book Award for non-fiction.

2013 National Book Award Finalist: "Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, & the Prison of Belief"