George Clooney In '1952'? Star Circling Secret Blockbuster From Damon Lindelof & Brad Bird

George Clooney's newest possible role is downright mysterious. According to Variety, the dapper star will lead "1952," a top-secret project co-written by Damon Lindelof ("Lost") and directed by Brad Bird ("Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol"). That is, if Disney ever gives the film a proper go-ahead: As Variety notes, the studio hasn't even awarded "1952" with a green light.

Whether or not Clooney stars is only part of the intrigue surrounding "1952." When it was first announced back in May, speculation ran rampant that "1952" was about an alien encounter, specifically U.F.O. sightings that happened over Washington D.C. In October, Vulture reported that "1952" was going to be a lot like "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," with an adult male protagonist in his 40s at the center of alien contact on Earth. Variety also claimed that "1952" is in the vein of "Close Encounters" while relaying the Clooney news, but it should be noted that Vulture reporter Claude Brodesser-Akner issued a correction on his original report.

While it is true that '1952' is very much in the spirit of 'Close Encounters' (and centers around a Roy Neary-like protagonist), it is not in fact about an alien encounter.

So, is "1952" about aliens? Considering Lindelof -- the man behind the secretive plots of "Lost," "Prometheus" and "Star Trek Into Darkness" -- is involved, don't be surprised if "1952" does wind up being about some government-alien conspiracy. For his part, the screenwriter kept quiet on Twitter following the Clooney report; Lindelof, an active Twitter user, didn't respond to an at-reply query from a Variety reporter to comment on the casting.

Clooney has a busy schedule, but doesn't he always: The 51-year-old star is currently developing "Monuments Men," a heist thriller that he'll write, direct and star in later this year.

For more on "1952," head over to Variety.

[via Variety]