George Clooney Eyes Up in the Air

The trades are reporting that George Clooney is in talks to star in Up in the Air, an adaptation of the 2001 Walter Kirn novel, with Oscar-nominated Juno director Jason Reitman behind the camera. Reitman also penned the screenplay.

The Oscar-winning actor will inhabit an unapologetic corporate downsizer whose untethered life is consumed by collecting air miles. The project is set up at the Montecito Picture Co., which has its first-look deal with DreamWorks.

Montecito’s Ivan Reitman, Joe Medjuck, Tom Pollock and Jeff Clifford will serve in a producer capacity along with Jason Reitman and his Hard C producing partner Dan Dubiecki.

Reitman picked up the novel when he was putting together financing for his feature debut Thank You for Smoking and wrote 30 pages of a draft. He’s been writing his adaptation in the background for the past five years as he directed Smoking and Juno.

At one time Jay Roach (Meet the Parents) was developing the project for FOX 2000.