Ewan McGregor flying with Amelia Earhart

Ewan McGregor is set to co-star in the upcoming Amelia Earhart biopic "Amelia" for Fox Searchlight. Ewan McGregor - Robie Burns Night Celebration 2007 - St. Martins Lane Hotel - London, England © Photorazzi

Ewan McGregor - Robie Burns Night Celebration 2007 - St. Martins Lane Hotel - London, England © Photorazzi Variety reports McGregor will join Hilary Swank, Richard Gere and Virginia Madsen on the film – which is being directed by Mira Nair. Ronald Bass wrote the screenplay.The film will focus on Earhart’s rise to fame and her troubled marriage to publisher George Putnam. It will also cover her affair with Gene Vidal (McGregor), father of author Gore Vidal.The filmmakers have been working at getting McGregor for some time, but were having difficulty working out the actor’s busy schedule. He is wrapping up work on "I Love You, Philip Morris" with Jim Carrey and is set to start work on Ron Howard's "Da Vinci Code" follow-up "Angels and Demons" in early June. The plan is to have McGregor squeeze in his work on "Amelia" before he starts “Angels and Demons.”“Amelia” is being produced by Ted Waitt, Lydia Dean Pilcher and Kevin Hyman, and executive produced by Don Carmody, Bass and Swank. Shooting is scheduled to take place in Toronto.