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Leonardo DiCaprio is going to play Leonardo da Vinci. Which is worth discussing, for sure, but what I got out of this story was something different: that a brand new biography about da Vinci is coming out and it sounds really good. The biography is simply called Leonardo da Vinci, and it was written by Walter Isaacson, the acclaimed biographer of books like Einstein: His Life and Universe, Steve Jobs and The Innovators: How a Group of Inventors, Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution. The Steve Jobs book already became a movie starring Michael Fassbender (sort of, they did use it for source material) and the Einstein book was used for the NatGeo series Genius. So, Isaacson turned his researcher?s eye to da Vinci and the book is coming out soon. Before the book has even been published, there was a bidding war for the movie rights, based on just the galleys. Paramount and Universal both wanted the rights, and Paramount had DiCaprio lined up to star and produce, with his own producing shingle Appian Way. Paramount won the bidding war:
According to info from the publisher, Walter Isaacson used Da Vinci?s notebooks to weave a narrative that connects his art to his science and voracious curiosity and imagination. Aside from his priceless paintings, he pursued innovative studies of anatomy (his iconic drawing of Vitruvian Man), fossils, birds, the heart, flying machines, botany, geology and weaponry. He peeled flesh off the faces of cadavers, drew the muscles that move the lips and then painted history?s most memorable smile. He explored the math of optics, showed how light rays strike the cornea and produced illusions of changing perspectives in The Last Supper. Isaacson also describes how Leonardo?s lifelong enthusiasm for staging theatrical productions informed his paintings and inventions. According to the book, he also was a bit of a misfit: illegitimate, gay, vegetarian, left-handed, easily distracted and at times heretical.
Paramount just emerged from an intense two-studio bidding battle to win a seven-figure auction for the rights to Walter Isaacson?s book Leonardo da Vinci, which will be crafted as a star vehicle for Leonardo DiCaprio to play the painter/scientist. He and Jennifer Davisson will produce through their Appian Way banner. Paramount had the early lead on this one, but Universal came in aggressively Friday afternoon, and the bidding continued until it just wrapped up moments ago with ICM Partners brokering the deal for Isaacson. This is a big get for Paramount, where Appian Way has its deal and expects to be a big part of the studio rebound. After Universal stepped up, Paramount did what it had to do to win the title. Elizabeth Raposo was a big part of making it happen, sources said.
[From Deadline]
Leo had already inked a deal with Paramount following his Oscar win in 2016 – he will star and produce three films with Paramount, in association with his Appian Way production company. The film that they?ve been trying to put together for a year is the story of 1996 Atlanta Olympic bombing, where Jonah Hill would play Richard Jewell, the man falsely accused of planting the bomb, with Leo playing Jewell?s lawyer. I wonder if that project will be put on the backburner as this Leo-plays-Leo film gets pushed for a speedy production. As for the idea of Leo playing da Vinci? I don?t see it, but whatever. Like, Leo can?t do accents and it will be strange to see da Vinci portrayed by some dude with an American accent. I also don?t think Leo looks at all like da Vinci. But as I said, whatever. It?s happening and there?s nothing we can do about it.
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