"West Wing" creator takes on John Edwards' downfall

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Screenwriter Aaron Sorkin has acquired the rights to the bombshell book that detailed the marital infidelity of disgraced former presidential candidate John Edwards.

"The Politician," published in January shortly after the millionaire trial lawyer admitted to fathering a child with his mistress, was written by Edwards' former aide Andrew Young.

Sorkin, who created "The West Wing," will make his directorial debut with the project, which he will also write and produce. He most recently wrote the screenplay for David Fincher's Facebook drama "The Social Network," which Columbia will release in October, and co-wrote the adaptation of the same studio's Brad Pitt baseball drama "Moneyball," which just began filming.