Sorkin turns to John Edwards biopic (THR, DH, LAT, VAR)

By Nancy Tartaglione

Aaron Sorkin has acquired the rights to Andrew Young's book about former presidential candidate John Edwards, "The Politician: An Insider's Account of John Edwards's Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down." According to media reports, Sorkin will make his feature directorial debut with the project, which he will also write and produce.

Young's book was published by Thomas Dunne Books earlier this year.

Edwards' run ended when it was revealed that the married senator had fathered an illegitimate child with Rielle Hunter - a claim Edwards denied and then finally admitted.

Young was a longtime Edwards aide.

"This is a first-hand account of an extraordinary story filled with motivations, decisions and consequences that would have lit Shakespeare up," said Sorkin. "There's much more to Andrew's book than what has been reported, and I'm grateful that he's trusting me with it."

The "West Wing" creator's screenwriting credits include "A Few Good Men" and "Charlie Wilson's War" along with the upcoming David Fincher-directed "The Social Network" and "Moneyball," an adaptation of the Michael Lewis book.