Tony Gilroy, the screenwriter behind The Bourne Supremacy is making his directorial debut with Michael Clayton, a film he also wrote, and he has tapped George Clooney as his star.

Clooney will play an elite New York attorney known among his colleagues as "The Janitor" because for 15 years he's worked behind the scenes to clean up his high-profile clients' messy personal problems. The story takes place over the four worst days of his career.

The film will likely see a late 2006 release as production is expected to being in January in New York City.