By Syantani Chatterjee

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "W" may not be Oscar-winning director Oliver Stone's first political biopic or even his first controversial film, but it may be his first comedy.


Stone, who has made movies of past presidents including Richard M. Nixon, is now shooting "W," about President George W. Bush's life, and the film has already stirred up controversy in Hollywood for what Stone may -- or may not -- say.

His first words on the film: "Bush is funny."

"This movie can be funnier because Bush is funny," Stone told Entertainment Weekly magazine in the issue that hits newsstands on Friday.

"He's awkward and goofy and makes faces all the time. He's not your average president. So let's have some fun with it," Stone said.

The director, 61, is best known for Vietnam war films such as "Platoon" and "Born on the Fourth of July," as well as thriller "Natural Born Killers" and political dramas "JFK" and "Nixon," which met with controversy for his looks at John F. Kennedy's assassination and Nixon's doomed presidency.

"W" has snapshots of a 26-year-old Bush crashing his car into his parents' lawn in Washington, D.C., interspersed with Bush, as president, playfully stealing a mint from U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, according to the story in Entertainment Weekly.

"It's almost Capra-esque, the story of a guy who had very limited talents in life, except for the ability to sell himself," Stone said of Bush's life.

Frank Capra, of course, is the director of homespun American movies such as 1939's "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" and 1946's "It's a Wonderful Life."

While "W" will not likely to redeem the increasingly unpopular president's image, it delves into a life overshadowed by events and people larger in stature than him. Stone even admits to admiring some of the president's attributes.

"The fact that he had to overcome the shadow of his father and the weight of his family name, you have to admire his tenacity" Stone said.

But Stone was unable to find funding for "W" from a major Hollywood studio, so he resorted to independent financing. He and his producers aim to have the movie in theaters before this November's presidential election and maybe as soon as October.

Stone signed Josh Brolin to play Bush and Elizabeth Banks, First Lady Laura Bush. Other cast members include James Cromwell as former President George H.W. Bush and Ellen Burstyn as former First Lady Barbara Bush. Thandie Newton plays Rice. One key figure not yet cast is Vice President Dick Cheney.

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
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