Variety says Matt Damon is negotiating to star as Marco Polo in a film following the explorer's travels through China.
The script, aptly titled "Marco Polo," is being written by William Monahan. Monahan is carving a nice little niche for himself with historical flicks, including "Kingdom of Heaven" (opening this week) and "Tripoli" (tentatively slated for a 2007 release).
A director is not yet attached to "Marco Polo." Rumors will inevitably swirl around Ridley Scott because of his links to Monahan -- Scott helmed "Kingdom of Heaven" and he's been linked to "Tripoli" -- but really, how many historical epics is Scott going to take on? -- Mac Slocum