George Clooney is poised to take on Castro and the Cuban Revolution in a new drama for Focus Features.
The "Ocean's 11" star is close to a deal to direct "The Yankee Comandante," two individuals with knowledge of the production told TheWrap. One called the deal "imminent."
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Based on a New Yorker article by David Grann, the film tells the story of William Alexander Morgan, an American who helped the communist leader oust Fulgencio Batista and take over the Caribbean country.
Clooney will produce along with his partner Grant Heslov. The Oscar-winner has shown a fondness for politically tinged dramas such as "Good Night and Good Luck" and "Syriana," and in Morgan's saga he has a doozy.
He was one of only two foreigners to rise to the rank of comandante, only to break with Castro over his socialist beliefs. Morgan was shot to death by a firing squad in 1961 after being charged with being a counter-revolutionary.
Deadline first reported Clooney's involvement.