Kevin Spacey to Play Winston Churchill (Exclusive)

Perhaps Kevin Spacey has been bitten by the political bug.

The actor, who plays dastardly politician Francis Underwood in Netflix’s House of Cards, is set to tackle Winston Churchill.

Spacey is attached to star in Captain of the Gate, a film that Sierra/Affinity is producing and fully financing for around $20 million. StudioCanal, which recently produced the airline thriller Non-Stop, is in early talks to come on board as a producer.

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Churchill was U.K. prime minister from 1940-45 and again from 1951-55 and is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the 20th century. The film chronicles his rise to power as he stood against parliament to defend Britain and the world from Adolf Hitler‘s Third Reich.

Cameron Lamb, who produced the Sundance film Kumiko, the Treasure Hunter, is producing via his Lila 9th Productions. Damon Lane of Zero Gravity also is producing.

Sierra/Affinity’s Kelly McCormick is shepherding the project for the company.

Ben Kaplan, who previously tackled the late President Ronald Reagan for a History Channel film, wrote the screenplay. He also has penned episodes for the documentary TV series Vietnam in HD and WWII in HD.

Sierra/Affinity is currently looking for a director.

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Spacey recently produced the documentary NOW: In the Wings on a World Stage, a behind-the-scenes look at the actor’s recent stage collaboration with Sam Mendes for Richard III, which he will self-distribute.

He is repped by CAA, manager Joanne Horowitz and attorney Tom Hansen.

Kaplan is handled by UTA and Zero Gravity.

Email: Tatiana.Siegel@THR.com
Twitter: @TatianaSiegel27