Hours director pulls out of Mid East drama

The Hours director Stephen Daldry has been criticised for pulling out of a political drama set in the Middle East.

The British director was to film Hiding Room, based on the 1995 novel by Jonathan Wilson, but became too busy while making his Oscar-nominated drama.

The script was to be written by Academy Award winner Frederic Raphael, and Cate Blanchett and John Malkovich were lined up to star.

Raphael told Hollywood trade magazine Daily Variety: “It’s sad that Stephen seems not to be doing it any more, because it’s a great story with plenty of contemporary resonance. But directors are not known as being the most loyal of people.”

An insider says: “Hiding Room would have been a great epic film, so it’s surprising Stephen has lost interest. In view of all the current initiatives aimed at resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict, the movie would have had a potent message about the situation in the Middle East.”