Clint Eastwood, always on the lookout for new Oscar bait to rush into theaters, may actually be tackling a pretty interesting project next. The Hollywood Reporter is indicating that he’s eying Milk writer Dustin Lance Black‘s script for a biopic of FBI founder J. Edgar Hoover.
JEH was a fascinating figure for his infamous use of dirty tactics to get his way. I’m sure at this point you’re thinking “typical Oscar stuff about the rise and fall of a real life political figure” but here’s where it gets interesting; the man has also always been rumored to be a closeted homosexual and cross-dresser. I’m sure that openly gay Dustin Lance Black who interestingly explored areas similar to this with the Dan White character in Milk would be attracted to this facet of the man’s life. Knowing though that this is an Eastwood movie produced by Brian Grazer and Ron Howard, don’t expect anything too racy.
J. Edgar Hoover has been played by Bob Hoskins in Nixon (which definitely stuck to the closeted gay angle) and most recently by Billy Crudup in Public Enemies (which definitely stuck to the dirty tricks angle).
Clint Eastwood‘s supernatural thriller starring Matt Damon, Hereafter, recently finished filming in Hawaii and is looking at a December release. Dustin Lance Black‘s directorial debut, What’s Wrong With Virginia?, will be released this year as well.
Does a J. Edgar Hoover biopic interest you?