Robert Redford to Play Dan Rather Opposite Cate Blanchett in 'Truth'

Robert Redford and political movies are like peanut butter and jelly, they just go together naturally. His politics have been at the forefront of many a film he's starred in and continues to this day, even rearing their head during his performance in Captain America: The Winter Soldier. And now he's set to star in another political film in which he'll play 60 Minutes anchor, Dan Rather.

Redford will play Rather in Truth, an adaptation of 60 Minutes producer Mary Mapes' memoir Truth and Duty: The Press, The President, And The Privilege Of Power. The story centers on the events that took place in 2004 when Rather and Mapes reported on George W. Bush's record in the Air National Guard, a record that showed a dereliction of duty and the efforts by higher-ups to embellish his record. The report surfaced mere weeks before the 2004 election, and the documents put in as evidence had their authenticity challenged almost immediately. They were judged (but never proven) to be forgeries and the firestorm that followed got Mapes fired and basically ruined Rather's career. Of course this became a major issue to those on the "conservative" wing who claimed it showed a clear media bias against Bush.

So it's another hot button story with a ton of potential, and only making it more impressive is Cate Blanchett taking on the role of Mapes, and superstar writer James Vanderbilt (Zodiac) making his directorial debut on the film. Shooting is planned for this fall and you can bet studios will be lining up to snag this one and turn it into a potential Oscar contender.