Leonardo DiCaprio to Headline Mel Gibson-Directed Viking Epic
Mon, December 14, 2009 
This is one of those Hollywood "connecting the dots" scenarios.
The trades report Leonardo DiCaprio (having just wrapped Inception with Christopher Nolan and about to start promoting Shutter Island in the coming months) will headline a currently untitled Viking film. Not one to pass up an old-school epic with plenty of blood and carnage, Mel Gibson will direct with the intention of starting filming by next fall.
Both parties come together thanks to the participation of producer Graham King. He recently worked on Edge of Darkness with Gibson and did The Departed with DiCaprio. That, of course, resulted in him winning the "Best Picture" Oscar for the Martin Scorsese-helmed crime thriller back in 2006.
Adding further glue is William Monahan. The screenwriter penned The Departed (and subsequently won the "Best Adapted Screenplay" Oscar), Shutter Island and Edge of Darkness. So I guess this should be called Six Degrees of Bill Monahan?
For those skeptics who say "Leo as a Viking? Come on!" the dude was able to pull off playing a South African in Blood Diamond. All he has to do put on some extra pounds in muscle and he’s good to go. Seeing him working with someone like Gibson should have interesting results.
It also further establishes his track-record for avoiding franchise tentpole and working with high-profile directors.
Reader Comments (1)
Ha! Where did you get that manip? Awesome.