Joseph Gordon-Levitt is in early talks to play Edward Snowden in Oliver Stone's forthcoming movie about the NSA leaker, The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed.

Stone is set to write and direct a movie based on two books: The Snowden Files: The Inside Story of the World's Most Wanted Man, written by journalist Luke Harding, and the novel Time of the Octopus, written by Snowden's Russian lawyer Anatoly Kucherena.

See more The 21 Best Movies About Whistleblowers

Stone will also produce the film alongside Moritz Berman and Eric Kopeloff. Production was originally set to begin before the end of the year.

Harding's book deals with reports based on Snowden's disclosures in The Guardian while Kucherena's fictional story focuses on an American whistleblower, who after being threatened by his government and waiting for a decision on his request for Russian asylum, spends weeks at the Moscow airport.

Stone's film isn't the only Snowden-focused story in the works. Laura Poitras' CITIZENFOUR documentary is set to screen at the New York Film Festival, and Sony has optioned the film rights to Glenn Greenwald's No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State.

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Sony is in the process of finding a high-profile writer to tackle that adaptation.

Greenwald and Poitras were among the initial group of people who saw and reported on Snowden's top-secret NSA documents.

Gordon-Levitt recently wrapped production on Robert Zemeckis' The Walk, playing Philippe Petit, the high-wire artist who famously walked between the World Trade Center towers. He's also filming an untitled Christmas Eve movie in which he reunites with his 50/50 co-star Seth Rogen and that movie's director, Jonathan Levine. Gordon-Levitt most recently appeared in the Sin City sequel, A Dame to Kill For.

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt in Talks to Play Edward Snowden in Oliver Stone Movie

One of Hollywood's most versatile young actors could be teaming up with one of its most iconoclastic filmmakers to tell the story of National Security Agency document leaker Edward Snowden.

Joseph Gordon-Levittis in talks to play the lead role in Oliver Stone's upcoming narrative adaptation of Luke Harding's nonfiction book "The Snowden Files," The Times has confirmed. Deadline first reported the news.

The move ups the ante in the race to get a Snowden feature to the screen. Sony is developing a movie based on "No Place to Hide," the book by Glenn Greenwald, who helped bring Snowden's revelations to light. Stone aims to begin shooting later this year, backed by independent financing and revenue from foreign sales.

Snowden is of course a former NSA contractor who leaked thousands of classified documents about U.S. surveillance activities in June 2013. He is a polarizing figure who has been branded both a hero (by Stone and others) and a traitor (namely, by the U.S. government). He fled the U.S. after being charged with felony espionage and theft of government property, eventually finding temporary asylum in Russia.

Along with "The Snowden Files," Stone's film will also be based on "Time of the Octopus," a thinly veiled novel by Snowden's Russian lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena.

Snowden would be the latest in a string of genre-hopping performances from the 33-year-old Gordon-Levitt. In recent outings, he's played a gambler pushing his luck in "Sin City: A Dame to Kill For," a porn-obsessed lothario in "Don Jon" (which he also wrote and directed), Abraham Lincoln's son in "Lincoln" and a time-traveling hired gun in "Looper."

He'll next appear on screen in another biopic, "The Walk," the Robert Zemeckis-directed film about French high-wire artist Philippe Petit.

Stone is a famously outspoken filmmaker who gravitates toward political-themed projects such as "JFK," "World Trade Center" and "W." Upon announcing his upcoming movie in June, he called the Snowden affair "one of the greatest stories of our time." Given his political leanings, his film is likely to be a favorable account of Snowden.

Despite the hot-button appeal, though, stories such as Snowden's don't always lend themselves to compelling cinematic translations. Last year, for example, the WikiLeaks thriller "The Fifth Estate" received poor reviews and grossed a disappointing $8.5 million worldwide, on an estimated $28-million budget.

In any case, Stone and Sony aren't the only film entities interested in Snowden. Laura Poitras' long-awaited documentary "Citizenfour" -- she and Greenwald made Snowden a household name -- will world-premiere at the upcoming New York Film Festival.

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt in talks for Oliver Stone's Edward Snowden film

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is likely to play Edward Snowden in Oliver Stone's new movie.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, the actor and director probably best known for '(500) Days of Summer', is in negotiations to play NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden in Oliver Stone's The Snowden Files.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is circling the Edward Snowden biopic

According to Variety, formal talks are yet to begin but both sides want the deal to happen. Stone is writing and directing the project, with Eric Kopeloff and Moritz Borman set to produce.

Snowden, a former U.S. intelligence analyst, released classified documents concerning numerous global surveillance programs, many of them run by the NSA. He's been on the run ever since and currently lives in an undisclosed location in Russia.

More: first pictures of Joseph Gordon-Levitt in 'The Walk'

That is essentially the angle for the movie: an American whistle blower who heads to Russia and has various back and forths with his lawyer while awaiting his request for asylum. Stone has also bought the rights to Guardian journalist Luke Harding's The Inside Story of the World's Most Wanted Man, though it's unclear whether this will be credited.

Stone's movie will probably be the first major Snowden movie, though is unlikely to be the only one. Sony Pictures acquired rights to Pulitzer-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald's book No Place To Hide: Edward Snowden, The NSA, And The U.S. Surveillance State. That movie will be produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, the producers of the James Bond movies.

More: check out our Joseph Gordon-Levitt pictures

Stone's movie is based on the book, Time of the Octopus, by Snowden's lawyer Anatoly Kucherena, which is essentially a documented account of the events since Snowden's leak. Should Gordon-Levitt sign on for the project, production could begin by the end of the year or early 2015.

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt Could Play Edward Snowden in 'The Snowden Files'

September 22, 2014 05:54:16 GMT The actor reportedly has been talking to director Oliver Stone although formal negotiations are yet to begin.

Oliver Stone is eying to play Edward Snowden in his new pic "". Nothing is set in stone yet but Variety reported that Stone offered the actor the role and he accepted. Both sides reportedly want this to happen.

Stone is looking at a December start to film the project in Munich. He writes and directs the project, and produces with Eric Kopeloff and Moritz Borman. Gordon-Levitt recently wrapped the filming of "" and is currently shooting holiday pic .

"The Snowden Files" gives inside story of Snowden's deeds and the journalists who faced down the pressure from the U.S. and British governments to break a remarkable scoop. Snowden was a young computer genius working for America's National Security Agency who blew the whistle on the way this powerful organization uses new technology to spy on the entire planet.

Stone acquired the rights to the book "Time of the Octopus" by Snowden's lawyer, Anatoly Kucherena. But it's not the only work revolving around Snowden which is picked up as a feature movie. Sony Pictures recently acquired film rights to Pulitzer-winning journalist Glenn Greenwald's upcoming book ": Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State". The project is still early in its development.

AceShowbiz.com

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt Wanted as Edward Snowden in 'The Snowden Files'