Shia LaBeouf Might Next Play Young Karl Rove In 'College Republicans'; Richard Linklater Linked As Potential Director

Either Shia LaBeouf has great business sense, or his agent deserves a raise. Since Disturbia, he's kept a near flawless track record at the box office, continually signing up for movies that, at best, have gone on to be some of the highest grossers of the year, and at worst, still land comfortably at #1 for the weekend. His next film, Transformers: The Dark of the Moon, isn't likely to change that.

Once Shia's completed work on Transformers though, he isn't committed to anything. He's attached to star in the currently director-less big screen adaption of John Grisham's legal thriller The Associate, and he's expressed interest in working with John Hillcoat on a crime drama spec script called Triple Nine, but as of now, he's without a follow-up.

That doesn't mean he isn't eyeing some projects, however. Evidently he's eager to star in College Republicans, a curious sounding comedy-drama about "a young Karl Rove vying for the position of chief campus conservative under the guidance of one Lee Atwater, who's his campaign manager".

24 Frames says Wes Jones' script has been picking up steam recently, and is sure to end up topping 2010's Black List. No director is on board as of yet, though Richard Linklater's name "has surfaced", according to the article.

Shia has enough clout now that he could probably get himself a part in the film if he so desired. Realistically though, if he were to be cast in the film, there's a greater likelihood that it would be as the film's secondary lead, Lee Atwater (a political consultant and strategist who was an advisor of Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush), whom he more believably resembles. But that's not nearly as amusing of a header image, is it?

What do you guys think? With some make-up and a few extra pounds, how would you feel about Shia LaBeouf as a young Karl Rove?