'Enemies' enlists Robert Redford

Film to be based on Richard A. Clarke memoir

Redford is attached to helm the bigscreen adaptation of Richard A. Clarke's memoir "Against All Enemies" for producer John Calley.

Columbia Pictures had been developing the project, but the studio put it into turnaround last month. Capitol Films picked the project up and is raising financing. Redford's deal is pending financing.

Sony backed off producing the project in part because of the plethora of Iraq War-themed movies, even though this one is set inside the entrenched Washington bureaucracy.

Jamie Vanderbilt penned the screenplay, which centers on Clarke, the counterterrorism adviser to three presidents, who charged in his book that the Bush administration prioritized Iraq above threats from Al Qaeda both before and after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Tracy Falco is attached to produce as well.

Paul Haggis was attached to helm for Col. Vince Vaughn flirted with the role of World Trade Center security chief John O'Neill, who died in the Manhattan attacks. Sean Penn considered playing Clarke in the film but reportedly balked over his payday.

Redford directed and starred in United Artists' just-wrapped "Lambs," a thriller set against the backdrop of the Bush administration's war on terror. Pic also stars Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep.