Steve Coogan is set to star in Michael Winterbottom's new film based on a book by Craig Murray, the UK Ambassador to Uzbekistan who was sacked for his outspoken honesty. The three met recently at Winterbottom's Production Company to discuss the deal, yet the UK Foreign Office are saying they will seek legal action to prevent the book being published.

Murray publicly spoke out against the regime of the Uzbekistan president, Islam Karimov, for its human rights record. The Guardian states that the US were attempting to foster a relationship with the country at the time to secure a US base there for operations against Afghanistan. It all sounds rather strange, but the book is described...

...by its publisher, Mainstream, as "an incredible true story of espionage, torture, high politics, sex and murder".

Murray goes on to say about the book...

"I do not come across as a hero," said Mr Murray. "I am an ordinary, fallible guy who could not go along with what the government was doing...There is a lot of satirical humour as well as total horror, really awful moments."

...and some of his previous comments which seemed to have ensured he was sacked are...

On how a British diplomat should deal with repressive governments such as Uzbekistan's: "There is no point in having cocktail-party relationships with a fascist regime."

On the US need for bases in central Asia: "Above all, we need to care about the 22 million Uzbek people, suffering from poverty and lack of freedom. They are not just pawns in the new Great Game."

Politics aside for a moment I think this would be a superb turn for Coogan who has tons of acting ability that I think we've yet to see properly on screen. I would love to see him in a serious role, however what are the chances that the film might actually go ahead?