After digging one of his dream projects – political drama Farragut North – out of limbo where it had resided for several years, George Clooney has been on a mission to make the play adaptation his next directorial project. And now it appears he’s found the leading man he’s after,as Ryan Gosling is now in negotiations to take the role.
Assuming he signs, Gosling will play Stephen Myers, a communications director (speechwriter/spin merchant) for a fast-rising presidential candidate. Trouble is, the idealistic young man is soon brought low by the backstabbing and dirty tricks he originally intended to stay clear of as the campaign heats up.
The part has some history. When Beau Willimon’s play was optioned back in 2004 and Clooney leapt on it like a tiger, Leonardo DiCaprio was seriously considering the lead. And, more recently, GC had been looking at Chris Pine for the role, especially since the** Star Trek** actor had already won plaudits in a recent production of the play itself.
But it would seem that Pine is now either too busy or the negotiations didn’t work out, because Gosling is now Clooney’s main focus. There’s no word in Deadline’s story as to the status of Philip Seymour Hoffman (who was down to play Paul Zara, Myers’ boss), or rumoured co-stars Evan Rachel Wood and Marisa Tomei.
Clooney is staying mum on which company will be financing or distributing the movie, but his Smoke House Productions company is sticking to its story that the movie will gear up to shoot in March. Wonder if they’ve got a spin-doctor writing their releases for them…