Rumor has it that a movie about Elizabeth Taylor’s love life is in the works and Hollywood’s biggest stars are competing to be in it. The Telegraph says Angelina Jolie and Catherine Zeta Jones are battling to win the part of Liz Taylor, while vague “industry sources” are rumor-mongering Russell Crowe, Clive Owen, and Colin Farrell as possible Richard Burtons.

I can’t imagine anything I’d like to watch less than Liz Taylor biopic, but I can understand the appeal in making one. She’s an icon who lived a big life. Her marriages alone would provide enough fodder to fill two or three soap operas. It also makes sense that, if someone were to make a movie about her, Hollywood’s actresses would start clamoring to play her. Icon biopics, much like movies about the mentally handicapped once were, are a straight shot to Oscar.

The rumor sounds like hogwash, but if it’s not then Mike Nichols is the guy set to direct a script based on one of the many mostly unread Liz Taylor biographies floating around in print. They’re supposed to be using “Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor” in particular, along with an unpublished autobiography and a series of personal photographs.

While I have no interest in watching a big screen soap opera about Taylor’s love, if it’s focused primarily on her relationship with Burton, that might mean a look at the making of Cleopatra. That could be interesting. They first feel in love during the making of the 1963 movie.

Of the two rumored actresses, Angelina Jolie makes the most sense. Catherine Z seems far too, well, swarthy. There’s an age issue too. Liz was 33 when she made Cleopatra. Catherine Zeta-Jones is 41 going on 50.