How do you turn an award-winning, six-hour British television mini-series directed by David Yates and starring Bill Nighy into a feature-length motion picture and expect it to work? Well, first you get Brad Pitt to star, which the producers of State and Play State of Play* took care of months ago. Then, you hire a director who is good at providing a filter between two cultures, like Oscar-winner Kevin Macdonald. Universal has just announced MacDonald's attachment, with shooting set to begin this fall). An added bonus for the remake would be to now cast Nighy, Kelly Macdonald and James McAvoy -- he's no stranger to working with Kevin Macdonald, of course -- to reprise their roles (I'm not sure who Pitt is filling in for). Of course, this isn't necessary nor does it make sense for a film about American politicians.

It will still be difficult to completely adapt the mini-series, especially editing the length down, but Matthew Michael Carnahan has apparently already turned in a script the studio is happy with. The plot involves the murder of a congressman's mistress, which is a story we've previously seen in one form or another on television and in film. Regardless of what some people thought of The Last King of Scotland (I loved it), Kevin Macdonald should be the one to make this thing into one of those rare good Hollywood products. Pitt probably won't get the same out of working with Macdonald as Forest Whitaker got (especially since everyone considers it to have been all Whitaker's doing), but I'm sure he's fine with Angelina having the only Oscar in the family.

*Thanks to Gerry for noticing my mistake with the title.