Oliver Stone sets his sights on George Bush biopic

Washington, Jan 21 : Oliver Stone is planning to direct a new project, 'Bush,' a film based on the life and presidency of George W. Bush, with Josh Brolin set to play the lead role.

The Oscar-winning director has involved his 'Wall Street' co-writer Stanley Weiser to write the script of the film, which will be produced by Moritz Borman.

If financing for the film materializes, it could begin shooting by April and be in cinemas in time for the US presidential election.

Stone is not planning to make an anti-Bush film but to chronicle key events in his life to explain how he came to power, with a structure similar to the Stephen Frears film 'The Queen'.

"It's a behind-the-scenes approach, similar to 'Nixon,' to give a sense of what it's like to be in his skin," Variety quoted Stone, as saying.

"But if 'Nixon' was a symphony, this is more like a chamber piece, and not as dark in tone. People have turned my political ideas into a cliche, but that is superficial.

"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," he added.

Stone refused to give his personal opinion of the president.

"I can't give you that, because the filmmaker has to hide in the work. Here, I'm the referee, and I want a fair, true portrait of the man," he said.

"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. It will contain surprises for Bush supporters and his detractors," he added.

ANI