Leonardo DiCaprio is working again with the director Quentin Tarantino in the latter's as yet untitled 1969-set movie. The pair previously worked together on Tarantino's bloody western, Django Unchained. DiCaprio played the main villain of that movie, Calvin Candie. Though DiCaprio infamously cut his hand during filming (and kept going), the role earned him just one of his (many) Oscar nominations. DiCaprio did not win for Django Unchained, although many thought he should.
However, DiCaprio's newest role with Tarantino will be the actor's first movie since his Oscar win for The Revenant. It remains to be seen, obviously, if this newest role will give DiCaprio his second Oscar. However, based on the film's premise and Tarantino's involvement, it sounds like a potential awards season contender. Although Tarantino's work hasn't always been loved by The Academy, he has already won two Oscars to date for his screenwriting.
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According to Deadline, DiCaprio is now set to appear in Tarantino's new movie. A deal has not been finalized just yet, but that is expected to change in the foreseeable future. The film may not have a title yet, but its release date is significant as it falls on the 50th anniversary of the murder of Sharon Tate by the Mason family. Margot Robbie has been approached to play the ill-fated actress, though Tarantino claims the movie won't really be about Manson. Rather, it will be a Pulp Fiction-esque film that simply takes place at the time of the Manson murders in Hollywood.
DiCaprio has been reportedly been cast as an aging actor in Tarantino's new film. While the role is said to be "meaty", almost no specific details have been released about the plot or the character. Evidently though, DiCaprio has landed one of the two major male roles that Tom Cruise was said to be circling at one point. Cruise, Robbie, and DiCaprio aren't the only big names linked to Tarantino's new film, either. Variety is reporting that Tarantino also wants Al Pacino in the movie, and that the filmmaker has even written a role in the movie specifically for the veteran actor.
It will be interesting to see how the movie shakes out, once it has fully come together. Tarantino has been on a kick recently of creating films set in the past, with his own very bloody twist and tone added to them. Using the Manson Murders as a backdrop is a perfect fit for the director's sensibilities and creative outlook.
This could also stand to be the movie that finally wins Tarantino some major awards for Directing and/or Best Picture. The Academy typically loves movies made about Hollywood, especially old Hollywood, which is what Tarantino seems to be aiming for in this latest project. If the Academy takes a liking to his latest creation, then Tarantion may end up adding even more Oscars to his shelf.
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