John Mankiewicz, the producer of such series as “House of Cards” and “Bosch,” is making his debut in podcasting with a new series called The Big Lie for Audible and Fresh Produce Media. Described as an immersive, cinematic seven-part audio drama series, the podcast is about the making of the 1954 film “Salt of the Earth” which was the only movie named to the “Hollywood Blacklist” for the left-wing views of producer Paul Jarrico, writer Michael Wilson, and director Herbert J. Biberman. The trio also refused to testify before a communist-hunting congressional committee. A passion project for more than two decades, Mankiewicz ultimately decided The Big Lie was right for his first project in audio.

“Because this was an entertaining and important story of a dark, complicated time in a divided America, I’ve always felt I owed it to Paul Jarrico and all the victims of the “Hollywood Blacklist” to get it told in the best possible way,” said Mankiewicz. “Audio was the perfect medium to bring The Big Lie to life, and Fresh Produce Media and Audible were the perfect team,” he said in a statement.

Actor Jon Hamm plays the FBI agent who tried to shut the film down during its making. The podcast also stars actors Kate Mara, who earlier this year starred in the Cadence13 drama podcast Ghostwriter. The cast also includes Ana de la Reguera, John Slattery, Bradley Whitford, Lisa Edelstein, Giancarlo Esposito, and David Strathairn, among others. The creators say the large cast allowed Director Aaron Lipstadt to elicit performances that maximized tension and emotional impact.

"When John and Aaron came to me with the idea for The Big Life, it was an automatic yes. Exploring the consequences of what happens when governments try to quiet the voices of the people—especially working people—is a theme that resonates with me deeply in 2022, so getting to both act in and executive produce this series was very rewarding,” said Hamm. “And getting to tell this story over audio, in a format that mirrors the way audiences might have actually heard it over the radio in the 1950s, made it all the more authentic."

The podcast was created by Mankiewicz from a story by Jarrico. The podcast was co-written by Jamie Napoli. Hamm will also Executive Produce the series, which is premiering on Audible on June 16.

In a rare move for the industry, each episode features an original score by Grammy-award winning composer David Mansfield (Heaven’s Gate, TransAmerica, Broken Trail). The authentic 1950s soundscape was created by Emmy-nominated sound designers Joshua Paul Johnson (Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road, Jane) and Peter Bawiec (Modern Family, Midway) and podcast producer Matt Schrader (Blockbuster).

Fresh Produce COO Colin Moore says The Big Lie demonstrates “the magic that can happen” when storytellers from Hollywood and podcasting come together.

“From the actors to the composer, casting director, and sound editor, we made something that we think will open the doors to new, exciting kinds of stories being told in audio,” said Moore. “All together, the talent assembled off-and-on-mic for the show marks a major step forward in the narrative possibilities of audio, and the creative opportunities of the podcast genre to tell stories previously reserved for TV and film only.”

In March, Audible struck a first-look deal for new audio content produced by Fresh Produce Media. Under their partnership, Fresh Produce will create multiple scripted and documentary audio series across genres like arts and entertainment, music, wellness, true crime and science fiction.

The Big Lie joins a list of high-profile Audible Originals including The Coldest Case from James Patterson, performed by Aaron Paul, Krysten Ritter and Nathalie Emmanuel; the audio fiction The Sandman from Neil Gaiman, performed by James McAvoy, Kat Dennings and Michael Sheen; The History of Sketch Comedy, Killing Hollywood: The Cotton Club Murder performed by Rainn Wilson, Christian Slater and Juliette Lewis, and The Miranda Obsession, executive produced and performed by Rachel Brosnahan.

“The talent assembled for The Big Lie – from the renowned ensemble cast led by Jon Hamm to the writing genius that is John Mankiewicz – is a testament to Audible’s commitment to celebrating unexpected formats and elevating audio entertainment at every turn,” said Zola Mashariki, Head of Audible Studios.

‍