Paul G Allen's Vulcan Productions has signed Nicholas Meyer to write a screenplay about the life of George Washington.

Nick Wechsler is attached to produce with Richard Hutton and Michael Caldwell on behalf of Vulcan.

'Washington was the indispensible man, the physical embodiment of America's revolutionary ideals and identity,' Allen said. 'As we consider America's role in today's ever-changing world, understanding the man who had a pivotal role during the birth of our nation is essential.'

'We've talked for years about doing a film together and we saw this as the perfect opportunity to do so,' Wechsler said of his collaboration with Allen. 'It would be difficult indeed to find a story more engaging or more dramatic than one about a man who changed the course of human history.'

'The myths created by Washington's remarkable achievements are so ingrained in our thinking that people forget he was a man - an extraordinarily complicated man whose personal life was defined by powerful contradictions and passions,' Meyer, whose credits include the Philip Roth adaptations Elegy and The Human Stain, said. 'I've studied the man for decades and look forward to telling the story of the real Washington.'