(CNN) - He's tackled the assassination of John F. Kennedy and tumultuous presidency of Richard Nixon. Now Hollywood director Oliver Stone is preparing to take an in depth look at how President Bush came to power.
According to Daily Variety, Stone is in the process of developing a script about the current president that he hopes will hit theatres in time for the general election next fall.
And he's tapped Josh Brolin - most recently of "No Country for Old Men" to play the commander in chief.
Calls to Stone's publicist and Brolin's agent have not yet been returned.
Variety reports the script was written by Stanly Weiser (who wrote 1981's “Wall Street”) and will be produced by Moritz Bormnan - the producer of 2006's World Trade Center.
Stone told Variety that the film will focus on how Bush was able to win the White House, and though he has been a sharp critic of the Bush administration's policy in Iraq, Stone said the movie would be a "true portrait" of the 43rd president.
"I'm a dramatist who is interested in people, and I have empathy for Bush as a human being, much the same as I did for Castro, Nixon, Jim Morrison, Jim Garrison and Alexander the Great," Stone said.
"I want a fair, true portrait of the man. How did Bush go from an alcoholic bum to the most powerful figure in the world? It's like Frank Capra territory on one hand, but I'll also cover the demons in his private life, his bouts with his dad and his conversion to Christianity, which explains a lot of where he is coming from. It includes his belief that God personally chose him to be president of the United States, and his coming into his own with the stunning, preemptive attack on Iraq," he added.
Stone acknowledged Brolin and Bush do not bear too much resemblance, but he said the two share the same "drive and charisma."
"Josh is actually better looking than Bush but has the same drive and charisma that Americans identify with Bush, who has some of that old-time movie-star swagger," he said.
– CNN's Alexander Mooney and JD Cargill
From CNN Politics
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If they titles the movie: "Curious George" and put him in a suit carrying a bannana I might go watch this, otherwise once he is outta office I never want to hear another thing about our dumbass president. I seriously hope that Obama gets elected and will make people remember what a president of the United States of America is supposed to be like!
I read most of the comments and am excited that so many people agree with me and have seen the truth in the Bush adminstration. I learned a few things too.
I didn't know Bushy boys cheerleader college roommate was gay! Interesting. I also enjoyed reading that part of Reagan's diary which states in so many words that G. W. was a useless bum.
Yes, I agree – daddy, Cheney and Rove ran the show. Gee, I hope they are all rich and happy. They were the most miserable group of people I have ever witnessed..crooked, and full of .greed, greed, greed. Just how stupid do Republicans think the American people are? What? They think they can tell us anything and repeat it enough and we'll begin to believe it?
Well they managed to ruin the stock, job, and home market. They allowed financial and insurance corporations to run rampid and rip off people.
I think Stone should make the movie.. so we learn not to make the same mistakes again and demand accountability...I hope the voting machines are working correctly in 08.
My personal opinion – I think only Hillary can take on Romney or McCain.. and we need very badly to win!
Somebody already said it: WHY is this on the Political section of CNN? It belongs in the Entertainment section. Move it!
I predict that there will be more lines spoken (yelled? screamed?) from the audiences than by the actors in the film, during wide release screenings.
What make-up and prosthetic feats will be needed to get the just-so nearly pointed ears, the beady, slightly crossed, convergent (and vacuous) gaze, the west Texas upper lip overhang for the actor playing the part?
Two hours (+/-) of the uniquely, exquitely, fumbling, unending stream of gramatical, lexical, geopgraphical, historical, economic and social malaproposims that even a beginner speaker - say, a three or four year old - would fail to surpass, would tax the efforts of phalanxes of screen writers never before assembled for the making of a film. (A practical solution might well be to simply lip-sync creatively compiled speech for the leading part from rich archival resources.)
Finally, what collection of Hollywood heavies will be assembled as supporting cast? Who will play "Shooter"? "Scooter"? "Slam-dunk" Tenet? the disgraced Powell? The now-Secretary of State named for a Chevron oil tanker? "Hand-jive" Rumsfeld? AGs "Trashcraft" and "Gonzo"? The "Flowers and chocolates" fraternity of neocon attorneys, Zionist ideologues, facilitators, loop hole deliverers and recycled ex-felons working out of the basement of the Pentagon? The Shock and Awe niche media cheerleaders? Plantation-boss Bremer? What vignettes of Abu Ghraib, Gitmo, Faluja, the rendition-and-torture gulag will be delivered?
In this case, even the redoubtable Oliver Stone might be biting off more than he can chew and deliver on. He might better opt to bring it out as a full-length animation, adult comedy. In that way, the wealth of opportunity to charicature, exaggerate and overstate a reality that can only be expressed in over-the-top burlesque might succeed as a creative endeavor. Take a page from Mel Brooks, who, presented with the challenge of rendering the Third Reich as an entertainment topic, arrived at a musical spoof featuring a character named Adolf Hitler.
Joseph Goebbels said, "If you tell a lie enough it becomes the truth".
---------------------------------–
If Bush-supporters are using the words of a Nazi for quotations, it doesn't seem hard to believe that they might have also read the words of another Nazi:
“Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. ...Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” ~ Herman Goering, second in command of the Nazi Third Reich.
Seem very familiar?
LOL Oliver you were once a good director almost great but now you are at best mediocre. I'm no fan of Bush but enough with your revisionist versions of history. I'm still laughing at all the flaws and made up events from JFK. Why do you persist in continuing to make movies no one wants to see? Try doing this for once. Lay off the drugs for a while and get you brain back to a somewhat even state of being. Then just tell a story people want to see. I think you did so many mushrooms on Natural Born Killers not to mention your years of cocain abuse you got swiss cheese for a brain. And sadly it is showing with your films. Making that god aweful Alexander should ban you from making films for at least 10 years.
to Red33 Do you have any clue as what liberal media means? it means free. Not that we have much of it left – but now you know what that means so you can use it in a sentence. I bet you listen to Fox news because it's "fair and balanced" – lol
It always gets me that those hard core "bushlovers" who buy into the propaganda of fear live in the part of the country that would never get hit by the terrorists. This is not the first time our government allowed 9/11 to happen in order to line up public opinion behind the war. Now if you paid attention in your history class you'd know that every war in the history of men was always about money. So fear not Mr. Red as long your beloved bush has his war that makes his buddies rich we are OK – trust me I take subway to work everyday and my only fear is – what is this unfortunate man going to come up with next. Arrogance and ignorance combined eats this great nation from the inside and we allowed that to go on for 8 years.
Irrespective of what people may think about George Bush, why wouldn't we want to experience what a demonstrably gifted cinemaic director would have to say about the 43rd president's terms of office? Good or bad, history needs to be interpreted, Greatly polarized sides of this debate are part of the discourse, but they don't necessarily advance our thinking.
"It's like the many Democrats in the Senate who said how much they supported the troops but then voted against providing them with the tools and equipment they needed to do their jobs just to show their disapproval of this president and this conflict. This is another fact. If you are truly a veteran how can you possibly justify this?"
-John, Lincoln, NE
The "evil" Democrats aren't the ones smearing veterans (John Kerry, John McCain), it's the Republicans. Take a look at how both were treated in Bush's campaigns. Bush dodged Vietnam while those two guys were over there and for he and his people to criticize them is repulsive.
Would anybody actually watch a movie about this?
Personally I can't even look at Bush's face without feeling sick.
Hey, there, you right-wing crazies and neo-con losers: How about trying to change the 22nd Amendment to give Bush a third term?
Ha, ha.
Mr Stone, I'd like to see a movie about how Hillary came to power. Please include some of her personal demons as well
Wake up people, Oliver Stone is a commercial filmmaker, not a journalist. He is an entertainer, not a historian. Even if he professes that his films are historically accurate, they will never be, simply because he is presenting images based on his own perceptions. He has no duty, as an artist, to give you want you want or what you think should be presented.
Congratulations Mr. Stone, you will be doing the country a very great service.
A better choice for bush would be Frank Caliendo he's awesome at impersonating him. Now for a serious role he might not be able to pull it off, but add some comedy to it ( Face it bush does say some pretty ignorant comedic things ) and it would go over great.
Prety much anyone who comemnts this to attack Bush is ignorant and hate him for what democrats on the media have said. If you dotn liek his policies thats fair game, but dont attack the person, this country is becoming very stupid and ignornat and tis nto becuase of Bush its the people that call him names and say he makes ur skin crawl. Learn some thing for once nad try to debate with facts .
One thing I find really interesting is when you see points of view slammed.
Over a movie, a possible movie, about our current President.
After reading each and every post on this issue, its clear that many feel that our President did a poor job, and many are quick to defend the office of the President.
I feel the job of the President is the hardest job in the world. Always under the microscope, never not second guessed, and the fate of the world in your hands.
That is a lot of pressure for any human being.
Now if we look at the office of President, and we see what has happened to those in office, a movie about any President will make good drama. It doesn't matter if you like the President or not. All the choices a President has to make daily about the fate of the world is interesting.
That being said....
I don't feel President Bush (current) has done a quality job in office. I do feel that fear has been used to control the masses. I don't feel he won the first election, and the Supreme Court made a mistake. The second election, the country made a mistake by putting him back into office. I don't disrespect the President, I bet he's a nice guy, a guy you wouldn't mind having a beer with and relaxing with. I don't feel he was the right choice, and I question the choices he made in office.
As for the always talked about Clinton's. President Clinton did many good things for the country, he also did screw up in office. One thing I did find refreshing was that he tried to listen to different points of view while making choices. In his second administration he had a rough time with the Republican Congress, who battled with him to get things done, and went after him. Still we came out in better shape after the Clinton Presidency.
In the up coming election, we have several tough choices, as people, as americans. What leader will be able to unite us and not divide us? Who will help the struggling middle class, will keep us safe, will reach out to those in the world both friend and foe. We have many things to think about, but the fighting two parties, the left and right, need to stop, need to wake up, and realize that were all americans, we all want a better tomorrow, and were only as strong as our weakest link.
Stone portrayed Nixon as a sympathetic human being who simply could not face the beast we call a government. I highly doubt he will completely demonize Bush (No matter how deserving he is of it.)
i hope this movie plans to explore both stolen elections as well as bush's lie and war, what he did to get votes (demonizing americans and dividing america), and how he's ruined our economy by giving tax breaks to the rich and corporate elite. worst president ever, and i hope this film portrays that accurately and richly.
Looking at these posts is puzzling me. The nations approval rating for Bush is 26%. Yet there are all these people who are taking up for him. Makes you wonder how many "ROVEbots" are are responding on here and getting everyone else up in a tizzy. Thats is why Obama is gonna win the presidency – he does not see a conservative America or a liberal America....he sees one America. Which is what all these Republicans should do as well. The Evangelicals are not gonna save you this time. So shut up and lets get along instead of wasting time bickering. Bush is a disaster, he has lyed, he has destroyed reputation of those who have gone against, and now he is going to live pretty for the rest of his life, while everyone else has to struggle to make ends meat and clean up the mess thats been made. Guys lets focus on America and making it better FOR ALL OF US instead of calling each other names like kids.
Only if the movie ends with bushes career ending the same way Mussolini did in Italy after the war will I go see it.
First of all, I would like to say thank you to all who have contributed to a spirited debate here. There have been a lot of opinions espoused here; so much passion. I think this is just one reason that this country is so great. We all have the freedom to express our opinions on matters such as those we are discussing here. I don't think many would disagree. So much credit is due to the many people who have contributed to this exchange of thoughts and ideas.
Now to db-you are right; I may have been premature in my assessment of what Oliver Stone was going to do with this movie. I just know what I have seen from him in the past and feel that we will be subjected to more of the same. No- that is not quite accurate. I should say those who choose to see the movie will be subjected to more of the same. I will very likely choose not to spend my money to see this movie, if and when it comes out. That is what most people do when they do not like something. They choose to not give it any of their time, money, etc. Speaking of my money... I would love to be able to contribute to the list of the many pro-America movies that have been made in the past but I do not make nearly enough money to make a movie. I am no where near what you would call wealthy; in fact I am very middle of the pack salary-wise. That is not to say that I have always been middle of the pack. I have had to make changes in my life to even get to this point. I used to bring home a lot less money than I do now. I used to work for a relativeIy small company where I mostly enjoyed my job but had topped out wage-wise of what the owner/founder of the company determined a person in my position should make. I even endured a demotion from a position that I really enjoyed in the company that I felt was going to be my future career. That's fine. They were the owner and it was their prerogative to determine such things. It wasn't enough money for me to live how I want to live. I want to be comfortable and not have to worry about which bill should get paid over the others and fall behind on payments. I made some very poor choices in the past that put me in that led me to that point. I chose to quit going to college when I was 20 years old; I chose to run up my credit cards to points where they were difficult to pay down the balance with minimum payments (all I could afford); I chose to try to have things like expensive cable TV and new vehicles that were unaffordable on my salary. I made those choices. Then I finally made the desicion (with the encouragement of my girlfriend and now wife) that I needed to go back to school and get myself into a position to not have to worry anymore. That and I have learned to do without things I cannot afford without credit cards (I don't even have one of my own). I still drive the same vehicle I bought back then when I could not afford it; it is now 10 years old and probably in need of being replaced. But I have learned the hard way to make better decisions in my life and it has made my life better. I believe from my experience that I can say that anyone can do what I have done. My situation now isn't one of great wealth and my old situation wasn't one of the greatest despair; the type of despair that many in this country and the world face. But I feel that anyone can make their lives better if they make better choices and decide that they want to and NEED to. They do not need to take hand outs from the government to do so. In fact, they will probably never get there with hand outs because it will not teach them to do on their own. It would just be a temporary fix. Give a man a fish, he eats for a day; teach a man to fish, he eats every day for the rest of his life. I know that is corny but it can be applied to so many real life situations. Sorry for BOTH of my extremely long rants.... I feel lucky that at least the first one got to stay on the site. I don't yet know if this one will but I'll keep my fingers crossed!
By the way I just have to say that I feel that thinking the way I do and seeing the world that way I do is a result of my independent thought. I feel that it is realistic to look around at my friends, family, co-workers, etc and their situations and my own, and realize that the country and it's people are not in the kind of trouble that the evening news is trying to tell us we are in. Just like "Christmas Retail Sales were quite good" pointed out. That was a great post and point.
I'm with JD – he was pretty fair to Nixon, actually, portraying him as a deeply flawed human being instead of some caricatured monster. I really want to see this film, although it might have been better if they waited a couple years.
As for the posts here, it astonishes me that there are two truths nowadays. The Liberals KNOW we invaded Iraq for oil and that W is an idiot, the Conservatives KNOW that it's all Bill Clinton's fault. I'm a staunch Democrat, so I'm closer to the former, but both sides have the "facts" to back up their opinions, even if the facts and opinions are completely contradictory. How did we get here?
Oh, and I'll bet he's going to call the movie "W."
Kalliope- and so what if most of the Bush-Supporters on here are from the Mid-west??? Since when do Mid-Westerners opinions matter less than the rest of the country??