03/15/2026
In October 2010, Variety reported that George Clooney signed on to produce, direct, and star in the film adaptation of Beau Willimon's play "Farragut North." In a title tussle, Sony Picturesoriginally wanted to use that title for the movie, as they believed would be a more recognizable moniker for U.S. audiences. However, the filmmakers wound up going with Clooney's choice, "The Ides of March" (2011).
Leonardo DiCaprio dropped out of the role of Stephen Meyers, but he stayed on as executive producer through his company Appian Way. Chris Pine was then considered before Ryan Gosling was cast.
Some of Governor Mike Morris's (Clooney) campaign posters are inspired by Shepard Fairey's iconic "Hope" poster, used during Barack Obama's campaign in 2008.
Gosling's character says about a slur on his opponent, "I don't care if it's true. I just want to hear him denying it." This is a reference to a statement attributed to Lyndon B. Johnson, who allegedly referred to an opponent as having carnal knowledge of farm animals. When an aide said he couldn't say that because it wasn't true, Johnson replied, "I know but I just want to hear him deny it."
Gosling earned a Golden Globe Award nomination for his performance, while Clooney, Grant Heslov and Beau Willimon were nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. (IMDb/Wikipedia)
Beware the Ides of March!