Felix Gillette reports in the New York Observer that "a team of Hollywood insiders is currently working on a screen adaptation of Truth and Duty: The Press, The President, and The Privilege of Power – the 2005 book by former CBS News producer Mary Mapes, in which she defends the 60 Minutes II story by Dan Rather about President George W. Bush's time in the Texas Air National Guard, which ran on CBS in September 2004 and eventually led to her ouster from the network."
Insert jokes here about how fiction can build on fiction. More from Gillette:
Who would want to turn "Rathergate" into a feature-length film?
According to sources familiar with the situation, Producer Mikkel Bondesen, (his credits include serving as executive producer on the USA Network series "Burn Notice") is actively working on the adaptation with screenwriter James Vanderbilt.
Mr. Vanderbilt wrote the screenplay for the 2007 serial killer movie Zodiac – based on the nonfiction book by Robert Graysmith – and is currently writing the screenplay for Spider-Man 4....
It remains to be seen how much of the screenplay will be dedicated to the alleged bungling of the story and its aftermath at CBS versus the broader story of the President's military service.
When reached by phone on Monday afternoon, Ms. Mapes declined to comment. The Media Mob has a phone call in to Mr. Bondesen. We'll update if we hear back.
Gillette is already wondering who would play Dan Rather. If this is a faithful adaptation of Mapes and her infidelity with the truth, perhaps Rather could star as himself. He had enough free time to do a cameo on ABC's trashy drama Dirty Sexy Money.
