A few weeks ago it was revealed George Clooney is set to direct The Monuments Men, and now it seems he’s looking to cast the movie, as TheWrap reveals he’s eyeing Best Actor Oscar winner Jean Dujardin for a supporting role in the movie.
the film will be based on Robert M. Edsel’s non-fiction book, The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History. Clooney will write, direct and also star as U.S. Army officer George Stout, who rediscovered tens of thousands of stolen artworks. The book tells the story of the US government’s efforts to retrieve artwork stolen by the Nazis and the art experts whose skills were put to use in the campaign. The title comes from the name given to the American and British art historians and museum curators who helped the military track down the stolen pieces.
It is known which part Dujardin is being sought for, but Cate Blanchett is reportedly being courted for the role of art historian/French Resistance member Rose Valland, while Paul Giamatti may play New York City ballet co-founder Lincoln Kirstein. The film is currently set to shoot during the spring of 2013, so hopefully Clooney will be able to firm up the casting before then.