Hulu Scraps Series on Hillary Clinton's Alternative Story, Where She's Not Married & Backed by Trump

The show is supposed to be based upon the NYT bestseller alternative history novel "Rodham," in which Hillary Rodham met and dated Bill Clinton at Yale Law School but never married him. Instead of living the life Clinton has had, she thrives as a Northwestern University professor and eventually runs for president in 2016.

Streaming giant Hulu has declined a purchase of Sarah Treem's adaptation of the 2020 Curtis Sittenfeld novel "Rodham," which has been in development at the streaming service since the summer of 2020, Variety reported on Friday.

However, since actresses Claire Danes and Dakota Fanning have been cast to play Clinton at different phases of her life, production company 20th Television has not given up trying to pitch the idea to other streaming platforms.

According to the report, Treem will write and executive produce, while James Ponsoldt will direct the series, which will be produced by Warren Littlefield's Littlefield Co., who also produced "The Handmaid's Tale."

Real-life events, such as Bill Clinton's rape allegations and Donald Trump's rise to prominence in politics, are depicted in the novel, albeit in dramatically different ways.

In the book, Bill asks Hillary to leave him because he cannot be faithful to her, to which Hillary agrees, and when allegations of rape and extramarital affairs lead to Bill having a disastrous '60 Minutes' interview with a different wife by his side, Hillary decides to go into politics, becoming a Democrat senator from Illinois.

Further in the story, Hillary has been preparing herself and the country for her own presidency for 18 years when, entering the 2016 presidential race, she faces off against Bill. Then she turns to Donald Trump for help, hoping to induce him to run against her would-be husband, but Trump refuses, publicly supporting Hillary.

After going through accusations of lesbian harassment, Hillary nevertheless wins, becomes president, and she and the country live happily ever after.

Much like the book, the "Rodham" TV show would span decades as a series, with Fanning and Danes portraying Clinton at various ages, according to Variety.

It would surely not be the first time Hillary Clinton has been portrayed onscreen in recent years if the movie finds a new home and moves forward. Edie Falco portrayed Clinton as first lady in the FX series "Impeachment: American Crime Story" last year. Monica Lewinsky was played in the show by Beanie Feldstein, and Bill Clinton was played by Clive Owen.

According to the media, Treem previously worked on Showtime's "The Affair" as a co-creator and showrunner. "In Treatment," "House of Cards," and "How to Make It in America" are among her other credits.