George Clooney eyes big screen 'Enron'

George Clooney will co-produce and direct a big screen version of the hit West End play Enron.

According to The Observer, the stage show's cast and director Rupert Goold will not be involved in the Hollywood production. However, playwright Lucy Prebble has been hired to work on a script for the film alongside Clooney and Spider-Man producer Laura Ziskin.

Speaking about the UK cast's exclusion, Ziskin said: "Once you've done something... you've done it. Let that stand on its own. This is an American story."

Philip Hedley, former director of the Theatre Royal Stratford East, said that it is a "great shame" that the original Enron team hasn't been invited to contribute to the film.

Enron recounts the financial collapse of the energy company, which was once the seventh largest corporation in the US.

The stage play ran in Chichester, the Royal Court, the West End and enjoyed a nationwide tour. A Broadway production was less successful, ending after 15 performances.