'The Office' actor John Krasinski to star in '13 Hours'

Los Angeles: Actor John Krasinski is in negotiations to star as lead in '13 Hours', an adaptation of Mitchell Zuckoff's book about the attack on an American compound in Libya that left US Ambassador J Christopher Stevens dead.

Michael Bay will direct the Paramount project from a script by Chuck Hogan, said The Hollywood Reporter.

The film's story centres on the six-man security team that fought to defend the many Americans stationed at the US State Department Special Mission Compound in Benghazi, Libya after it was attacked on September 11, 2012. Krasinski, 35, will play the role of a security operator named Jack Silva. Silva is a pseudonym used by Zuckoff in his book.

Chris Pratt was initially eyed for the part in the project, which is described as a two-hander. Erwin Stoff is producing.