'Jim Jones': Leonardo DiCaprio in Final Talks to Star in and Produce MGM’s Upcoming Movie

Leonardo DiCaprio might be seen essaying the religious cult leader Jim Jones in MGM's upcoming feature. According to Variety, the Oscar winner is in final talks with the makers of the project, which is based on the leader of the 'Peoples Temple' religious group. Written by Scott Rosenberg, Jim Jones will be bankrolled by DiCaprio along with Jennifer Davisson for their Appian Way production company. 

Jones was the controversial figure behind the November 1978 mass suicide at Jonestown, which saw the demise of more than 900 people. Jones and his entourage are said to have orchestrated the heinous crime by directing the followers to intake 'cyanide-adulterated punch'. Venom and Jumanji fame Rosenberg is also onboard as the executive producer.

Leonardo DiCaprio to star in MGM's Jim Jones 

The upcoming project isn't the first time anyone is tapping into the life of Jones. He has been covered in documentaries in books such as Truth and Lies: Jonestown, Paradise Lost. With Leonardo mastering the art of portraying real-life characters on screen, Jones could make for an Oscar-worthy performance for The Wolf of Wall Street star.  

The project is being undertaken by Appian Way Productions, which has bankrolled three-time Academy award winner The Revenant, Martin Scorsese’s The Wolf of Wall Street along with other classic hits like The Aviator and Shutter Island. The company is currently undertaking the production of Elizabeth Moss' Shining Girls. 

What's on Leonardo DiCaprio's work front? 

The star will be seen alongside Jennifer Lawrence in  Netflix's Don’t Look Up. The  Adam McKay directorial also stars Timothee Chalamet, Meryl Streep, Ariana Grande, Scott Mescudi, Cate Blanchett among others in pivotal roles. The story revolves around two low-level astronomers trying to warn mankind about a comet that would wreck the Earth. The movie will stream on December 24, 2021, via Netflix. 

He will also be seen in Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon, which is based on a book by David Grann. The crime drama, which also stars  Jesse Plemons, Lily Gladstone, and Robert De Niro marks the director's sixth collaboration with DiCaprio. Bankrolled by Scorsese's Sikelia Productions and DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions, the film is being distributed by Paramount Pictures and Apple TV+.

(IMAGE: AP)