Clive Owen banks on International

You might not think that the story of a man who investigates dodgy money procedures at big banks would make for the most thrilling plot. But there’s always a way to gloss things up – shady dealings, gunfights, or even a basket of kittens in danger.

And real-life scandals have been turned into films already, as with Rogue Trader (even though that was more moral character drama than high-stakes thriller.)

Now Sony thinks it has the answer in The International, snapping up Clive Owen to star as an Interpol agent who tracks down dodgy deals while scheming business types plot how to avoid his suspicions, decide which island to buy next and snort copious illegal substances off the bare breasts of prostitutes. Hey, this thing practically writes itself!

Scribe Eric Singer probably didn’t find that, though he has finished the script and handed it to director Tom Tykwer. The Perfume director will start work in September.