The college admissions scandal is getting the Lifetime movie treatment. The network known for its ripped-from-the-headlines films has greenlit a movie inspired by the wide-ranging college admissions bribery scheme, where wealthy parents paid large sums of money to ensure that their children were given spots at elite universities. 

So far, more than 50 people have been charged in the case, including actresses Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman. Huffman pleaded guilty and will be sentenced September 13. Loughlin has pleaded not guilty. 

What we know about the college admissions scandal movie 

So far, we don’t know too many details about Lifetime’s upcoming film, which has the working title College Admissions Scandal. The network did share that the 2-hour movie, “will follow two wealthy mothers who share an obsession with getting their teenagers into the best possible college.”

When admissions consultant Rick Singer offers the moms a way to ensure that their kids will get into a prestigious college, the two women leap at the opportunity. But when the FBI gets wind of the scheme and Singer begins cooperating with investigators, they have to face the consequences of their misdeeds. 

Adam Salky (I Smile Back) will direct a script by Stephen Tolkin. There’s no word yet on who will play the mothers in the film, but there are at least two actresses who are definitely not being considered, according to reports. 

Loughlin won’t get to play herself in the movie 

While some viewers might like to see Lifetime take a tongue-in-cheek approach to College Admissions Scandal and cast either Loughlin or Huffman as one of the mothers, chances are that’s not going to happen. 

“Lori Loughlin and Felicity Huffman are unfortunately not being considered for two starring roles that they were born to play,” gossip website The Blast reported.   

While there’s little likelihood that either woman would jump at the chance to play a thinly veiled version of themselves in the movie, both might appreciate the offer of work. 

Will Loughlin and Huffman’s careers ever recover?

Loughlin’s career took a big hit when her alleged involvement in the admissions scam was revealed. She was fired from the Hallmark Channel series When Calls the Heart and the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries show Garage Sale Mysteries. She also lost her job as Aunt Becky on Netflix’s Full House revival Fuller House. According to her IMDB profile, she has no other projects in the works. 

Since being charged in the case, Huffman has appeared in Netflix’s Central Park Five miniseries When They See Us as prosecutor Linda Fairstein. While the show earned 16 Emmy nominations, her name was not even submitted for consideration. Another Netflix project she was involved in, the comedy Otherhood, had its release date pushed from April to August amidst the scandal. IMDB lists one other project for Huffman, the dark comedy film Tammy’s Always Dying, which is in post-production. 

Both actresses are likely to feel the fallout of the case for a long time. 

“In the short term, both actors are not going to be cast in any new projects for a while,” Howard Bragman, a PR strategist and crisis manager, explained in an article for Variety, though Huffman may have an easier time recovering than Loughlin.

“In the long-term, both careers will come back after enough pain, punishment and time,” Bragman wrote. “Lori’s “Aunt Becky” image will actually be harder to regain whereas Felicity has done more cutting-edge projects, which will serve her well moving forward.”