Tim Roth and Henry Kissinger

John Phillips/Getty Images; Paul Morigi/Getty Images

Tim Roth is in talks to play political operative Henry Kissinger in Cannes package Kissinger Takes Paris.

Jeff Stanzler is set to direct from his own screenplay, billed as a satire with the announcement drawing comparisons to Wag the Dog. Robin Wright, Mary-Louise Parker, Lucy Hale, David Cross, Jimmy O. Yang, Rob Corddry and Dylan Penn also in talks to star in the ensemble.

As for the plot, it’s perhaps best to quote the official synopsis verbatim: “The film tells the (mostly) true story of Henry Kissinger – a middle-aged, politically washed-up Harvard professor who, in 1968, travels to Paris at the height of its student protests and the dawn of the sexual revolution. Feeling energized, he crashes the Paris Peace Talks and changes the course of modern history. A few weeks later, Henry returns to America as the second most powerful man in the world – and even more astonishingly…as the least likely international sex symbol of the modern era.”

Claude Dal Farra and Brian Keady will produce for To Leslie outfit BCDF Pictures, along with Stanzler. CAA Media Finance and Concourse Media are co-representing domestic rights, and Concourse is handling international rights, with sales launching at Cannes.

“As a young boy I marveled at Dr. Kissinger on TV, who looked much more like me than Robert Redford, while he was dating a different world-famous actress or model each month – he had no rival,” said Stanzler. “I am beyond thrilled to be working alongside Tim, Robin and so many other incredible actors to bring this mad capped Paris of ’68 weekend to life.”