The bizarre way Angelina Jolie planned to catch warlord Joseph Kony.

Picture this.

Angelina Jolie, playing a wealthy and successful actress known for her humanitarian work travels to the Central African Republic with her husband, successful actor played by Brad Pitt to ensnare Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony by inviting him to dinner with her.

It sounds like a compelling action film that harks back to the former couple’s turn in Mr and Mrs Smith. Only this is no Hollywood plot, but a stranger-than-fiction espionage plan that was almost actioned by the International Criminal Court.

Yes, really.

The plot has come to light thanks to 40,000 ICC documents which were leaked to the French investigative website Mediapart. Interestingly, it appears that Jolie volunteered herself as bait for the warlord who currently has a $5 million bounty on his head for crimes against humanity.

If the name Kony sounds vaguely familiar, cast your mind back to 2012.

The brutal warlord, who helms rebel militia group Lord's Resistance Army responsible for the forced recruitment of child soldiers, was the subject of a viral video released by charity Invisible Children called Kony 2012.

The documentary was created to promote the "Stop Kony" movement, designed to make the war criminal and ICC fugitive Joseph Kony known all over the globe in a bid to have him arrested by the end of 2012.

Despite racking up millions of views (the current tally sits at over 101 million), the campaign was widely panned by critics who accused it of slactivism. The viral attention also caused Invisible Children co-founder and director Jason Russel to have a public breakdown which saw him hospitalised for several weeks.

The details of the plot were outlined in emails between Jolie and former ICC Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo.

"[Jolie] has the idea to invite Kony to dinner and then arrest him," reads one email sent by Moreno Ocampo, according to The Sunday Times, who have seen the documents.

“Forget other celebrities, she is the one. She loves to arrest Kony. She is ready. Probably Brad [Pitt] will go also," he added in a follow up.

Jolie reportedly replied, “Brad is being supportive. Let’s discuss logistics. Much love Xxx.”

The Sunday Times reports that the plan was for Jolie and Pitt to head to the Central African Republic with US special forces in the hope that their presence would cause Kony to leave his armoured compound and thus allow the US forces to take him into custody.

It is believed he is currently hiding in the border between Sudan and South Sudan.

For some reason, the plan never came to life and Kony remains at large. That said, if anyone Hollywood is looking for a movie idea...