Leonardo DiCaprio is making another movie based on a true story. The actor, whose many Oscar and Golden Globe nominations include recognition for portrayals of real-life figures Howard Hughes, Frank Abagnale, J. Edgar Hoover and Jordan Belfort, is taking on the story of the recent Volkswagen emissions scandal.
Here's what we know so far.
What is the Volkswagen emissions scandal?
Last month, through the issuing of a violation notice by the EPA, it was revealed that Volkswagen had been cheating emissions tests in the U.S. and elsewhere since 2008. After realizing that its expensive new diesel engines wouldn't pass emissions tests in many countries, the company programmed its cars' software to fake it when tested. Since the news broke, Volkswagen's stocks have plummeted, its CEO has resigned and the ramifications may harm the German auto industry as a whole.
So who is DiCaprio going to play?
According to the initial announcement of the movie, DiCaprio is so far only producing with Jennifer Davisson and their Appian Way banner, which has made a few things he didn't star in, such as Orphan and Out of the Furnace. The Appian Way movies he has starred in include The Aviator, Shutter Island and The Wolf of Wall Street, plus the climate-change documentary The 11th Hour, which he narrated.
But who could he play?
The baby-faced 40-year-old actor is definitely too young for most of the players at VW, such as 68-year-old former CEO Martin Winterkorn, though he might be able to pass for the also youngish-looking 51-year-old Volkswagen Group of America head Michael Horn. Maybe he could be someone representing the EPA or the International Council on Clean Transportation, the organization that initially discovered Volkswagen's wrongdoing.
Do we know the point of view the movie will take yet?
No, and the book it will be based on hasn't even been written. Jack Ewing, who has been writing about the scandal for the New York Times, will author the full story, but regardless of its perspective, the outspoken environmentalist DiCaprio could still choose to follow the good guys.
Sounds like it'll be a while before we see it. What does DiCaprio have for us until then?
This Christmas, DiCaprio stars in another true story, The Revenant, which could possibly net him another Oscar nomination. He's also reteaming with Martin Scorsese to play real-life 19th century serial killer Dr. H.H. Holmes in The Devil in the White City.
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