Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Leonardo DiCaprio in talks to play former US President Woodrow Wilson in new biopic

 

Liam O'Brien
Tuesday 17 September 2013 12:40 BST
Comments
(Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Leonardo DiCaprio is in talks to play Woodrow Wilson in a new biopic of the 28th President of the United States.

The Great Gatsby star’s production company, Appian Way, will produce the film, which is based on an acclaimed biography of the divisive Democrat leader by A. Scott Berg.

Warner Bros is thought to be interested in picking up the rights to the project, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The film could cover everything from America’s entry into the First World War to the creation of the Federal Reserve, as well as the former president’s love of golf. Berg’s biography depicts Wilson as a charismatic, progressive figure, neglecting a poor record on civil liberties that has rendered the President a somewhat controversial figure among modern historians.

But DiCaprio may need to plunder these grey areas if he wants to reverse his run of misfortune at the Academy Awards.

Daniel Day Lewis’s portrayal of Abraham Lincoln, which showed the incredible strain the President placed on his family, earned him his third Best Actor Oscar this year.

The Steven Spielberg film also showed that presidential biopics can be a hot ticket at the box office. It earned a total of $275m worldwide, $40m more than Best Picture winner Argo.

The Woodrow Wilson film will represent DiCaprio’s return to acting following the “long, long break” he took following the filming of Martin Scorsese’s Wolf of Wall Street, The Great Gatsby and Quentin Tarantino’s Django Unchained.

US President Woodrow Wilson in 1916
US President Woodrow Wilson in 1916 (Getty Images/Hulton Archive)

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in