George Clooney to direct 'The Yankee Comandante'

The 51-year-old actor has been roped in to direct Focus Features' "The Yankee Comandante". Focus is making a rights deal for "Yankee Comandante", which was an article written by David Grann in the May 28 issue of The New Yorker.

George Clooney. Pic/AFP

The studio has tapped Clooney to serve as the director in addition to co-producing the movie project along with his Smokehouse partner Grant Heslov. Grann's article centers on William Alexander Morgan, who helped Fidel Castro and the Cuban rebels overthrow Fulgencio Batista.

Morgan was the only American in the rebel army and the sole foreigner, other than Argentinian icon Che Guevara, to rise to the army's highest rank; The Comandante.

Morgan, whose motives for being in Cuba were subject to suspicion, was later imprisoned and charged with working for US intelligence. Clooney will next be seen opposite Sandra Bullock in Alfonso Cuaron's adventure picture "Gravity". He also produced Ben Affleck's upcoming political drama "Argo".u00a0