RKO 281 (2000)

RKO 281 unravels the thrilling journey of the prodigious 24-year-old Orson Welles as he ventures into Hollywood. Having won the adoration of many with his spectacular feats in New York stage and spine-chilling radio dramatization of H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds, Welles is hailed as a boy genius, the new sensation that everyone in Hollywood eagerly awaits to see his first masterpiece with RKO Studios. Blessed with the artistic freedom by the RKO studio head, George Schaefer, Welles takes a year to carefully craft his inaugural project. Inspiration strikes him like a lightning bolt during a dinner at the grandiose mansion of William Randolph Hearst, San Simeon. He decides to sketch a cinematic portrait of an American titan, a character whose eccentric style and quirks epitomize American entrepreneurship. With the able assistance of his close friend, Herman J. Mankiewicz, Welles clandestinely develops a script that eventually gives birth to the iconic Citizen Kane (1941). The movie, shrouded in mystery from the prying eyes of the press, tells the story of an ageing newspaper magnate who manipulates his enemies and allies with equal ruthlessness, and of a mistress destined for fame. However, when Hearst gets a whiff of the film that mirrors his life, he wages a relentless campaign to censure it. Instructing his Hollywood gossip columnist, Hedda Hopper, he vows to not only prevent its public screening but to annihilate its existence entirely. As the battle lines are drawn between the audacious genius and the powerful magnate, RKO 281 paints a riveting picture of one of Hollywood's most fiercely contested showdowns. This film is a captivating exploration into the struggles and triumphs that go into making a cinematic marvel, underlining the price one has to pay for daring to step on the toes of the mighty.

RKO 281 is a drama movie featuring Liev Schreiber.

RKO 281 is currently streaming on DIRECTV and Max Amazon Channel.