Terry George, who directed Hotel Rwanda (Filmstalker review) and the upcoming Reservation Road, is in talks to direct a CIA film entitled Edwin A. Salt which the studio hopes Tom Cruise will lead.

The script is written by Kurt Wimmer and tells the story of a CIA officer who finds himself on the run and trying to prove his innocence after a Russian defector claims that he is a sleeper spy for the Russians.

It isn't clear if the desire for Tom Cruise to lead the film is a serious one or not, but Tony George would be an interesting Director for the film and might do something more with it than this short blurb from Variety through Coming Soon gives us.

Kurt Wimmer has produced some interesting scripts in the past, from Sphere, The Thomas Crown Affair and The Recruit to Ultraviolet (Filmstalker review) and Equilibrium.

This film could go either way from the scant information we have already, and if Terry George and Cruise come onboard then things really are looking up for Wimmer's scripts. It also marks a strong rise for Cruise since his parting with his long term studio contract, he's got a whole stream of powerful films coming up that promise some great performances.