Ben Stiller among 'Chicago' contenders

October 23, 2008 "The Trial of the Chicago 7," the DreamWorks project about the 1968 riots at the Democratic convention and their aftermath, is a high priority for the newly configured studio and is moving forward quickly. The latest well-known director who has met on the project is Ben Stiller; while the discussions for Stiller to helm the film are very much at the exploratory stage, the actor and DreamWorks are mulling whether such a pairing would work for both parties. A "Chicago" gig would mark a departure for Stiller, who has directed such successful comedies as "Tropic Thunder" and "Zoolander," but has not helmed a serious political picture of this kind before.

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