Despite the title, George Clooney isn’t tackling this week’s celebrity picture stealing scandal for his next film as director; even he is not quite that topical. But he’s channelling relatively recent events for his next job, planning to make Hack Attack for Sony based on the News Corporation phone hacking issue.
Clooney is using Nick Davies' reporting on the case, which involved journalists hacking into the voicemails of celebrities, politicians, officials and the public to score stories and dig up juicy details. The resulting backlash led to the end of New Of The World and a government inquiry.
“This has all the elements – lying, corruption, blackmail – at the highest levels of government by the biggest newspaper in London,” Clooney says in a statement picked up by Variety. “And the fact that it’s true is the best part. Nick is a brave and stubborn reporter and we consider it an honour to put his book to film.”
There are no other details yet, but we do know that Clooney and regular producing partner Grant Heslov will craft the film via their Smokehouse company and aim to kick off shooting next year. This one appears to have leapfrogged over other potential Clooney films, though nothing else has moved far through development.
Acting wise, Clooney will be seen in Brad Bird’s Tomorrowland and is set to work once more with the Coen brothers on ‘50s Hollywood pic Hail Caesar!.