This might be a little too close to home, but Canet was once married to Diane Kruger. They remain on friendly terms, and she would be perfect for the role of the determined businesswoman and Grant's lover, Kay Thorndyke.


Photo by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, Interview, September 2009. 

Frank Capra cast Claudette Colbert as Grant's estranged wife, Mary Matthews. When Colbert dropped out the week before filming, Spencer Tracy suggested his girlfriend, Katharine Hepburn, for the part. Hepburn was already familiar with the story, as she'd been helping Tracey prepare, and so Capra agreed. Part of the appeal of the original film is the chemistry between Hepburn and Tracy. You want them to get back together. We thought we'd try casting Guillaume Canet's real-life partner, Marion Cotillard, as Mary. 


Photo by Mikael Jansson, Interview, July 2010. 

Sam Thorndyke, the much-feared newspaper tycoon, stays around just long enough to leave his empire to his daughter Kay and inform us that, although he "hated" Kay "for being a girl," he'd come to realize she was better than any son he could have had. Terence Stamp could make a cameo as Thorndyke Sr. 

Katharine Hepburn—whose name is misspelled in the film's credits—and Spencer Tracy were never meant to be in State of the Union. Claudette Colbert had agreed to play Mary Matthews and Frank Capra wanted Clark Gable or Gary Cooper for Grant Matthews. We'd like to cast French heartthrob Guillaume Canet as the Presidential hopeful. 

For seasoned politician Jim Conover, we'd like to suggest Frank Langella. He's a bit cheeky and a bit crotchety, and we know he'd be able to walk the fine "dramedy" line. 

Grant's campaign manager, Spike McManus, is a bit of a superfluous character. Played by then-hottie Van Johnson, his main role is to lighten the mood—he cracks jokes, flirts with the leading ladies, and is comically horrified when Grant decides to show off his aviation skills during a private flight across the country. Elijah Wood could make a good modern-day McManus.