AceShowbiz -

Kicked off his early career as a stage actor before then being cast in numbers of big screen projects, Kevin Spacey is ready to invade the small screen with his being signed to star in HBO's upcoming made for TV movie "Recount" which chronicles the contested presidential election of 2000.

A political drama, "Recount" will focus its story on the ordinary people caught up in the extraordinary events surrounding the fateful vote. It begins with the November 7th elections, follows the slew of controversial court challenges and recounts and culminates with the December 12th Supreme Court ruling that effectively handed George W. Bush the presidency.

HBO network announced Monday September 24th, Spacey will play the role of Ron Klain, Vice President Al Gore's former chief of staff who headed the Democratic candidate's legal efforts in Florida as general counsel for the Gore-Lieberman Recount Committee.

Joining Spacey to star in among others are Tom Wilkinson, Denis Leary, Ed Begley Jr., Laura Dern, John Hurt, and Bob Balaban. Written by actor Danny Strong, the HBO movie is being directed by Jay Roach, who stepped in last month to replace Oscar-winning filmmaker Sydney Pollack, who withdrew as director for unspecified health reasons.

Shooting is slated to begin next month, with the project scheduled to air in the midst of next year's campaign for the White House.