Clooney scouts Ohio political stops for new film

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CINCINNATI (AP) - George Clooney has personally scouted authentic locations in Ohio for an upcoming film in which he'll play a presidential candidate.

The actor has checked out a Cincinnati concert hall and the city's Lunken Airport, sites where many real-world national politicians have stopped over the years.

Memorial Hall in 2008 hosted a rally for GOP presidential nominee John McCain. A hall official says it will be used in the film, "Ides of March," which Clooney will both direct and star in.

The airport has been a campaign backdrop for Barack Obama, George H.W. Bush and others. Clooney visited after Thanksgiving, and Lunken manager Fred Anderton says negotiations are under way.

Clooney grew up around Cincinnati, where his father was a TV newscaster.

Wow, there's going to be so much excitement if he decides to go 'home' for filming. Remember all the stories we got when he filmed Leatherheads?

Hey Ada...he's going to be in your neck of the woods! Well sort of anyway... it's closer than Illinois at least!

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George Clooney to film new movie at Memorial Hall, Lunken Airport

George Clooney's "Ides of March" movie, scheduled to start filming here next month, will be art imitating life.


Clooney, who directs and stars in the film about a Democratic governor campaigning in presidential primaries, has personally scouted two locations here often used by national candidates: Lunken Airport and Memorial Hall.

"Memorial Hall is being used (for the film), but I don't have an exact date yet," said Ray Henry, Memorial Hall Society operations director.

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The historic 102-year-old Elm Street auditorium was the scene of John McCain's 2008 Republican rally when WLW-AM's Bill Cunningham made national headlines for referring to the Democratic front-runner by his full name, Barack Hussein Obama.

"He (Clooney) really loved the building. He said, 'I'll see you soon. This is a great spot,' " Henry said of Clooney's visit.

Shooting will start in February, and go into March, says Jacquie Loughery, president and CEO of Dare to Dream Casting on Pete Rose Way, downtown.

Clooney, 49, the Oscar-winning actor who grew up in Mason and Augusta, will be directing his fourth movie - and filming his first in his hometown area. He could not be reached for comment.

An open casting call for extras and small roles will come "very soon," says Loughery, who cast "Cornhole: The Movie" and "The Black Dove," both shot here.

"There will be many extras needed," Loughery said.

Shortly after Thanksgiving, Clooney scouted Lunken Airport, used by candidates Obama, McCain, Sarah Palin, George H.W. Bush, Dan Quayle, Ted Kennedy, John Kasich and others.

"It looks like they're going to use it. We're still negotiating. Nothing in ink yet," said Fred Anderton, airport manager.

Anderton said he expects scenes to be shot in the terminal lobby and behind the terminal.

Clooney's production team also has talked to at least one Lunken hangar owner about renting space as a sound stage, Anderton said.

A Lunken hangar was used last year after the Reds-Cardinals' Opening Day game to shoot a Wheaties TV commercial starring Reds pitcher Francisco Cordero and St. Louis slugger Albert Pujols, he said.

Many extras would be needed if Clooney films campaign rallies here.

The 1979 Augusta High School graduate will play a Howard Dean-type governor based on Beau Willimon's "Farragut North" play about a presidential campaign.

Willimon was a press aide for Dean's 2004 presidential campaign. Clooney and his longtime writing partner, Grant Heslov, wrote the screenplay with Willimon.

Ryan Gosling ("The Notebook") stars as the aggressive first-time campaign staffer who gets caught up in dirty tricks.

Marisa Tomei, Evan Rachel Wood, Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright and Max Minghella will co-star, says the International Movie Database ([You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Giamatti plays a rival campaign manager, Tomei appears as a New York Times reporter and Wood plays a campaign intern, according to reports.

Part of "Ides of March" also will be shot in Michigan, which has approved a state film financial incentive for the production. A casting call has been posted for extras who will be needed in Detroit in March.

Clooney earned an Academy Award nomination in 2006 for directing "Good Night, And Good Luck," the year he won his Oscar for best supporting actor in "Syriana." He also directed "Leatherheads" and "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind."

I'm really looking forward to LOTS of pics! Hopefully without someone...

melbert wrote:I'm really looking forward to LOTS of pics! Hopefully without someone...

Ahhh! I don't mind seeing him with Grant.

Grant, Nick, Nina, EVERYBODY but her...

Glad he is back safe. I wonder what the excuse is this time for her once again not being around. She didn't go last scouting trip either and she could have easily.

He did this last year Dexterdidit....he was still in Sudan yesterday...

I thought it was a quick trip! I really need to learn to read properly. LOL

melbert wrote:Grant, Nick, Nina, EVERYBODY but her...

Sorry, melbert, my CS fell flat. I was having some fun with you.

Hopefully without someone....

Since you left it as a fill-in-the-blank, I was teasing and saying that Grant was okay.

P.S. I knew who you were referring to. LOL!

Sisieq, I knew you knew!!!! And yes, by all means, Grant!!!! Just NOT her!! I do "get" your CS and I LOVE it!!!