Doug Liman plans spy thriller with Kidman and Crowe

Doug Liman, director of «The Bourne Identity» and «Mr. & Mrs. Smith» is planning a movie version of the book «Fair Game: My Life as a Spy». The role of former CIA agent Valerie Palme has been given to Nicole Kidman, and Liman's first choice to play the male lead is Russell Crowe.

Russell Crowe is slotted to play Palme's husband, the politician and diplomat Joe Wilson. In 2005, Palme was outed as a CIA agent when the White House leaked details of her work to the press after her husband criticized the government's rationale for its war with Iraq.

Crowe's chances for getting the role look good: He met with Doug Liman already in 2001, to discuss possibly playing Jason Bourne in «The Bourne Identity», and Kidman and Crowe were scheduled to star together in «Australia», before the male lead was passed on to Hugh Jackman. Maybe this time the pairing will work out – as it did for Pitt and Jolie...