Ridley Scott and Russell Crowe seem to be as inseparable a pair as Johnny Depp and Tim Burton these days, but one of their next projects together might be too hot to handle.

"Body of Lies" (aka. "Penetration") tells the story of a young CIA agent attempting to manipulate power players in the Middle East to turn Iraqi terrorists on themselves.

It's a hot button topic, one that invites studio intereference, but Crowe told MTV News at the recent "3:10 to Yuma" junket that "I don’t think he’d be doing it if he felt there were going to be any constraints on him. I think the studio is aware of who they’ve hired to do the gig, and what [Scott] wants it to be about...I don’t think it will be very popular, but that’s never been part of my project choice process."

He goes on a little more about the subjects the film covers - "I think the perspective of ‘Body of Lies’ is ongoing. It’s machinations and creations of the American government, in terms of its foreign policy. I don’t think it’s so responsive to what’s happening now — because what’s happening now is actually the fruit of seeds planted two or three decades ago, if not more. But I think it’s timely to do a movie like that … it’s important, and Ridley is up for [portraying] the true negatives of this web of intrigue that’s been created."