It’s another historical movie for George Clooney, and USA Today has for us the first picture to feature all three principals from his upcoming effort LEATHERHEADS. In the film, Clooney plays the coach of a wannabe pro football team in the 1920s, and in order to snag some attention and create some hoopla for his sport and his team, he recruits a World War I hero to be his star player (John Krasinski from THE OFFICE). But when both coach and player fall in love with the journalist (Renee Zellweger) who’s out to expose them as frauds, screwball hijinx naturally ensue.
Clooney is attempting a comedy for the first time, which seems only natural given his reputation as a prankster and for his cheeky interviews. Also, his work with the Coen brothers must have schooled him in the art of Hollywood quirk at least a little bit. I wonder what kind of, if any, influence the brothers’ style will have on Clooney, who also co-wrote the script. It’s safe to say that this is John Krasinki’s shot at a legitimate movie career (LICENSE TO WED doesn’t count), but if it doesn’t work out for John, working across from Dwight Schrute for the next few years isn’t a bad gig at all. Click on George’s flawlessly gelled hair to ENLARGE.