...and shooting starts today

Steve Coogan and Sopranos star James Gandolfini have signed up for Armando Iannucci’s first feature film.

Gandolfini will play an American General who tries to stop the US president from launching an ill-advised war.

British actor Tom Hollander has also signed up for the film, playing an the British Secretary of State for International Development, who agrees with the general but accidentally backs military action on prime-time TV.

The comedy film, called in In The Loop, will also Chris Addison and Peter Capaldi who will be reprising their roles as spin doctors from Iannucci’s Whitehall satire The Thick Of It.

Coogan - whose association with Iannucci goes back to Radio 4's On The Hour where Alan Partridge was born – has a cameo as a voter who's angry about a collapsing wall.

Iannucci is directing the film and co-writing it with The Thick Of It team of Jesse Armstrong, Simon Blackwell, Tony Roche and Ian Martin.

He said: ‘In these troubled times, I'm delighted that so many talented actors and writers are willing to come and make a comedy about a war on both sides of the Atlantic.’

Filming started today and will take place on location in London, Washington and New York.

Producer Kevin Loader, whose credits include The History Boys and Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, said: ‘We hope that In the Loop will make you cry with laughter — and possibly fear — as it takes you behind the scenes in the heart of the global political village.’

The movie is being produced by BBC Films, the UK Film Council and Aramid Entertainment.

Published: 1 May 2008