Beaks here...

Last winter, it looked like Steven Spielberg's first post-INDY 4 movie was going to be THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7, an Aaron Sorkin-scripted replay of the chaos that engulfed the 1968 Democratic National Convention. Official reports had Sacha Baron Cohen cast as Abbie Hoffman and Will Smith circling the incendiary role of Bobby Seale. Then Spielberg turned his attention elsewhere (to TINTIN and LINCOLN), and little else was muttered about this once hot property.

Until this week, that is, when Paul Greengrass's name started circulating as the new helmer of the high-profile prestige drama (thanks to a listing in Production Weekly). Given his penchant for docudrama (as seen in BLOODY SUNDAY and UNITED 93), Greengrass certainly seemed an ideal candidate to manage what would essentially be an historical recreation (with Sorkin-ized screwball banter?). Is production finally moving forward?

Nope. CHUD's Devin Faraci has received word from Greengrass that he will not be directing the film. The culprit? "Timing."

So it's back to development hell for THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7.