I don’t expect the life and times of Ian Fleming to be anywhere near as exciting or cool as his fictional creation, James Bond, but I have to admit a certain excitement about a Fleming biopic project. While he may not have seduced the ladies, faced off with hat-flinging goons, or gone on any of Bond’s other adventures, Fleming was still an interesting character, serving as an intelligence officer in the British Navy and acting as the personal assistant to the Director of Naval Intelligence.

The planned biopic of the Bond creator now has a writer. The Hollywood Reporter announced that John Orloff will take on the task. Orloff previously penned the life story of Daniel Pearl in A Mighty Heart.

Orloff seems like a good choice for a project like this, hopefully bringing some interesting drama to the story. I have no doubt Fleming’s story is interesting, but he was behind a desk during the war. Considering James Bond’s field activity, I get the impression he wished for more active service, but that’s not how his career worked out. Let’s hope Orloff can find a way to tell a good story without forcing Bond-style homages or (even worse) turning this into a British The Good Shepherd.