Picture To Be Written By ‘Stranger Than Fiction’ Screenwriter
Sigh, do we really need another movie about the economic collapse? Michael Moore tried to address the issue with his rush job documentary “Capitalism: A Love Story” and he was bested by the immensely better, Oscar-winning “Inside Job.” We’ve also got “Margin Call” and “Too Big To Fail” around the corner; we’re kind of exhausted on this topic already. But damn if we can’t raise a bit of interest when George Clooney comes sniffing around the subject.
The actor/director is set to produce, and possibly direct a film based on the 2009 Washington Post article “The $700 Billion Man” by Laura Blumenfeld, according to Variety. The story centers on Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) manager Neel Kashkari who moved to an isolated cabin in northern California following the massive corporate government bailout in 2008. He was an inexperienced aide to Hank Paulson who gave him the job and Kashkari later found himself thrown to the wolves in Congress following the whole debacle.
Needless to say, it’s another true and enervating story, and it’s easy to see the attraction for Clooney to the project. Zach Helm (“Stranger Than Fiction,” “Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium“) will write the screenplay after which Clooney will decide whether or not he wants to direct or shepherd it with another helmer. But he’s got his hands full right now, directing the sure-to-be-Oscar-contending “Ides Of March” which is set for release on October 14th.