Spielberg is busy, Greengrass says no... so who do DreamWorks go after for THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7?

By Matt Holmes / June 25, 2011

The Hollywood Reporter say Ben Stiller is in, and they like to stress, "exploratory talks", to helm the DreamWorks 1968 period drama about the riots at the Democratic convention and their aftermath, which we have known for a good number of years now as THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7.

The studio are said to be desperate to move forward with the picture and now that Steven Spielberg is busy with TINTIN and Paul Greengrass is looking to prep BOURNE 4, they are likely to be considering more far reaching candidates for Aaron Sorkin's much lauded script.

Also working in Stiller's favour is the success of TROPIC THUNDER which apart from making $164 million worldwide, will have proven to them he can make a genre movie, handle a big ensemble cast of big name actors and for some, he even got some great direction credit.

Though of course that's a long way from suddenly becoming the guy who replaces Spielberg and helms a movie from the writer of A FEW GOOD MEN which delves into the real life moments of a historically significant event. I mean, Phillip Seymour Hoffman was once rumored for this film.. can you imagine him working under and taking orders from Stiller for such a project?

The film will shoot next Spring... could Ben Stiller really be making the move into mature movies after SOOOO many years in the industry or is this project something that is way beyond his capabilities?