Production has begun in New York City on Burn After Reading for Focus Features and Working Title Films. Academy Award winners Joel and Ethan Coen are writing, producing, and directing the film, which will also shoot in Washington, D.C. Working Title co-chairs Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner are executive-producing the film with Robert Graf, who has worked on the Coens' last five features in various producing capacities.

The dark spy-comedy stars Academy Award winners George Clooney and Frances McDormand, and Academy Award nominees Brad Pitt and John Malkovich. Mr. Malkovich plays an ousted CIA official whose memoir accidentally falls into the hands of two unwise D.C. gym employees intent on exploiting their find. Rounding out the cast are Tilda Swinton (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe), who plays the wife of Mr. Malkovich's character, and Richard Jenkins, who previously starred for the Coens in The Man Who Wasn't There.

The director of photography on Burn After Reading is Academy Award nominee Emmanuel Lubezki (Children of Men). BAFTA Award nominee Mary Zophres is the costume designer, marking her eighth consecutive feature with the Coens. Jess Gonchor, production designer on the Coens' new film No Country for Old Men, encores in that capacity on Burn After Reading. No Country for Old Men will be shown in October as the Centerpiece screening of the New York Film Festival, and will open in theaters the following month.

Mr. Clooney stars in the October release Michael Clayton with Ms. Swinton and is currently in post-production on Leatherheads, which he directed and stars in, for December release. As star and executive producer, Ms. McDormand is in post-production for Focus on Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day for 2008 release. Mr. Pitt will be seen next month starring in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, and soon stars for Working Title in State of Play. Mr. Pitt also stars with Ms. Swinton in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, which is in post-production for 2008 release. Mr. Malkovich recently wrapped filming Afterwards with Romain Duris and Evangeline Lilly.