‘West Wing’s’ Aaron Sorkin to Direct Film Based on John Edwards’ Affair

Former staff member in John Edwards’ 2008 presidential campaign, political operative Andrew Young, released his tell-all book, The Politician: An Insider’s Account of John Edwards’s Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down, earlier this year. Young has reportedly reached a deal with West Wing screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who will make his directorial debut by creating a film adaptation of The Politician.

According to the New York Daily News, Sorkin, 49, who is also known for his work on American President and A Few Good Men, released a statement in response to obtaining the rights to Young’s book.

“This is a first-hand account of an extraordinary story filled with motivations, decisions and consequences that would have lit Shakespeare up,” the statement says. “There’s much more to Andrew’s book than what has been reported and I’m grateful that he’s trusting me with it.”

Young’s book predominantly focused on Edwards’ attempts to keep his marital infidelity under wraps during his second bid for the White House. After vehemently denying allegations for quite some time, Edwards finally admitted that he was the father of Rielle Hunter’s child in January 2010.

Immediately after his long-awaited admission, his cancer-stricken wife of 33 years, Elizabeth, legally separated from Edwards. Young believes that the story is perfect for Sorkin’s directorial debut, saying, “I was really impressed by him and really impressed how he was focused on the tragedy of this rather than the tawdry.”