Armie Hammer In Talks To Play Leonardo DiCaprio's Lover In Clint Eastwood's 'J. Edgar'

Yes, The Title Has Changed From ‘Hoover’

Good things are happening to the smaller players from David Fincher‘s critically acclaimed and Oscar bound “The Social Network.” Rooney Mara was hired on by the helmer for his hotly buzzed adaptation of Stieg Larsson‘s “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” and now, Armie Hammer, whose double performance as the Winkelvoss twins earned him the kind of attention being heaped on Tom Hardy following his turn in “Inception,” is now ready to move on up the career ladder.

EW reports that Hammer is in talks to take on the leading role opposite Leonardo DiCaprio in Clint Eastwood‘s forthcoming “J. Edgar” (formerly known as “Hoover“). The actor is eying the role of Clyde Tolson, the FBI official who was also rumored to be the former FBI director’s gay lover.

We’re thrilled by the prospect of this news. Hammer was a knockout in “The Social Network,” and every bit as good as Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield in the film and he put in the work (seriously, listen to him to talk about the process of playing twins in the film in the David Poland interview below. Remarkable).

But if you’re expecting some hot ‘n heavy man-on-man lovin’ between Hammer and DiCaprio you better cool your jets. We’ve read the Dustin Lance Black-penned script and while there is a lot of homosexual subtext in the film, there’s really not much of a gay lover. Or at least not any kind of conventional one. Sure, there will be unspoken sexual tension and their relationship is key to the film, but those expecting cross-dressing scenes and the two smacking one another’s butts over case studies will be grossly disappointed. The gayness in the film is understated.

Anyway, we’re excited. The film is gearing up to shoot early in 2011 and at the rate Eastwood works (read: ridiculously fast) this one will likely be in theaters next fall.