Steven Soderbergh is developing and will direct a biopic about Liberace for Warner Bros. The director has his eye on Traffic star Michael Douglas to play the flamboyant pianist.

According to Variety, Richard LaGravanese is writing the script, and Jerry Weintraub will produce.

Soderbergh is in discussions with Matt Damon to play Scott Thorson, who sued Liberace in 1982 for $113 million in palimony, claiming he was the entertainer's companion for five years. Even though Liberace never wavered from career-long denials that he was gay, Thorson reportedly settled for $95,000 in 1986.

Liberace died in 1987 of complications from AIDS at age 67.

According to sources, Soderbergh won't make the Liberace film his next project, or even the one after that.

Soderbergh will next direct The Girlfriend Experience, about a call girl, for 2929 Entertainment partners Mark Cuban and Todd Wagner and their HDNet label.

No production date for the Liberace picture has been set.