Abu Dhabi firm to produce political thriller

Imagenation will produce a film about the outing of former CIA agent Valerie Plame.

A political thriller about the outing of former CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson starring Sean Penn and Naomi Watts will be the next product of Imagenation Abu Dhabi and Participant Media's $250 million film fund. Titled Fair Game after Plame Wilson's 2007 memoir ? which took its name from the phrase Karl Rove, George W Bush's chief of staff, used to describe the blowing of her cover to the press ? the film is directed by Doug Liman (Bourne Identity, Mr and Mrs Smith), and co-produced by River Road Entertainment.

"It's a political movie, but Doug Lyman has done amazing action thrillers in the past, with Bourne Identity and Jumper," said Stefan Brunner, the chief operation officer of Imagenation Abu Dhabi. "He didn't come on this film to make another slower political thriller like, say, Michael Clayton, but he wanted to make it more of an action thriller. So there will be a certain amount of action." The film recently wrapped principal photography, and is scheduled for release in the US in either the fourth quarter of this year or the first quarter of next year. Just when it is released will depend in part on it's chances as contender for an Academy Award.

"We will look at the final film, and if we feel that there is Oscar potential, then definitely the release will be structured around it," Mr Brunner said. "It's a story that has the potential for Academy Awards, obviously, with the two actors that we have attached." [e-mail]