It's been a few years since George Clooney was on cinema screens, or working behind the camera, partially thanks to his time making Catch-22 for TV. But with one film already under his directing/starring belt in The Midnight Sky, he's now eyeing another potential shot-calling opportunity via The Tender Bar.
The drama would adapt JR Moehringer's memoir about growing up in Long Island and looking for father figures among the patrons at his uncle's local watering hole. This one has been floating around for a while, and was originally set up at Sony, with Ted Melfi attached to direct. Once he departed, the studio let the project slide into turnaround, and Amazon swooped in to buy the rights.
William Monahan wrote the script for the film, and Amazon is now hoping that Clooney will agree to produce and direct. He is still considering another film, true-life rowing story Boys In The Boat, but Deadline reports that he's going to wait on that one, as The Tender Bar is likely to be easier to shoot given the current need for strict pandemic safety procedures.