I never thought I would become a fan of Leonardo DiCaprio, but the guy has won me over and now to hear that he will be teaming with Michael Mann for an untitled noir drama that takes place on the old MGM lot in the 1930s has me bubbling with anticipation.
The film, scripted by John Logan, will feature DiCaprio playing the kind of private detective studios once relied on to clean up the scandals created by its stars. He’s hired to investigate whether a starlet murdered her husband. Sources tell Variety that the script is strong and the film has a period feel reminiscent of L.A. Confidential.
Word is that this will be Mann’s next directorial outing and New Line has even made a $100 million bid, which falls shy of the projected $120 million pricetag. There is already a February start date in place and the film will shoot mostly on soundstages, and it works in classic figures like Judy Garland and Bugsy Siegel. The latter is the centerpiece of a shootout scene that unfolds in the Trocadero nightclub on Sunset Boulevard.
