Will These Be the Men Who Stare at Goats?

Ewan MacGregor, one of the all-time great Scottish exports.  

Remember how a while back I wrote about George Clooney’s picking up the rights to the book Men Who Stare At Goats? No? Really? I thought sure you were paying attention. Nevertheless, casting is picking up and we’re beginning to get the names of some of the men who will be doing the staring.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Clooney & Co. are in talks to sign Ewan MacGregor, Kevin Spacey, and Jeff Bridges. Now what will they be doing, you ask? Well, here’s the breakdown.

Men Who Stare at Goats is based on a book by Jon Ronson. Set in Iraq, it tells about Bob Wilton, a reporter who finds the story of a lifetime when he runs into Lyn Cassady, who says he’s a former US military psychic who’s been called back into action after 9/11. Wilton follows Cassady through Iraq, learning about a supposedly top secret unit that teaches soldiers paranormal powers.

MacGregor would play Wilton and Clooney will play Cassady. Bridges would play Bill Django, the original founder of the secret program, and Spacey would Larry Hooper, one of the original psychic soldiers who’s now running a prison camp in Iraq.

Clooney’s producing partner is directing and Peter Straughan is adapting Ronson’s book.

It sounds like a fun premise, and you can’t argue with that cast, if they all sign on (can I come and hang out on the set? Please?). Of course, as we all have learned, lots of things sound good on paper.