Leonardo DiCaprio will star in a movie set around the Charles Manson murders, Hollywood entertainment publications reported on Friday. However, he will not be essaying the role of the American cult leader.
DiCaprio will instead take the part of an ageing, out-of-work actor in the yet untitled movie being produced and directed by Oscar-winner Quentin Tarantino, Variety said.
Plot details have not been released but Tarantino said in November that it was not a biographical movie but a story set during the summer of 1969, when a string of gruesome killings in Southern California were carried out by Manson’s followers.
Manson, one of the 20th century’s most notorious criminals, died in November at the age of 83. He had been serving a life sentence for ordering the murders of nine people including actress Sharon Tate.
The Sony Pictures movie is to be released on August 9, 2019, exactly 50 years after Tate and four friends were stabbed or shot dead.
Australian actor Margot Robbie has reportedly been approached to play Sharon Tate. Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Al Pacino are also rumoured to be interested or are being sought, for the movie.
Sony Pictures, part of Sony Corp, have not commented on the castings as yet.
The movie will be the first Tarantino film to be released without the Weinstein Company following allegations by more than 70 women of sexual misconduct against its former chief executive Harvey Weinstein.
Weinstein, who has denied having non-consensual sex with anyone, was fired last November and his independent production company is currently up for sale.
