People Magazine's Hottest Hunks of Various Years Competing for Sinatra Bio?
The ever-reputable Guardian claims Martin Scorsese's Frank Sinatra biopic is the setting for a casting war! Except it's not so much a war so much as three big names that they're claiming may or may not be trying to get the lead:
George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio and Johnny Depp are all fighting to land the role that will surely give the victor the best chance yet of securing the critical acclaim to match their earning power.Scorsese, who won his first best director Oscar in 2006 for The Departed, wants his current muse DiCaprio to play the Rat Pack singer. The two are putting the finishing touches to Shutter Island, their fourth film together, before Scorsese turns his attention to making Sinatra next year.
Executives at Universal, the studio financing the film, are pushing for Depp to play Sinatra, after being impressed by his performance as bank robber John Dillinger in Public Enemies this year.
But Sinatra's daughter, Tina, has her own view of how her father should be portrayed, which critics feel would be a sanitised life story. She favours Clooney, in what would be his most challenging role to date, as a safe pair of hands.
Obviously Martin Scorsese wants Leonardo DiCaprio playing Frank Sinatra. Martin Scorsese wants Leonardo DiCaprio to play every part. Howard Hughes, Gangs of New York guy, Departed guy, Shutter Island guy, muse, friend, wife, loving mother to his bushy-eyed progeny: Scorsese wants to see DiCaprio's round head in every one of those roles. And besides that, he'd probably would be a pretty decent Sinatra.
What confuses me are the latter two claims...
Universal executives want Johnny Depp because he's a box office draw? Because Leonardo DiCaprio isn't a box office draw? Maybe one day someone will put him in some kind of big, sweeping, blockbuster romance that will allow him to capture the public eye, but for now, he's a nobody. That kid from Growing Pains' later seasons is in a new movie? No thanks! Give me the star of Public Enemies any day! Because that's also what Johnny Depp is primarily known for. Public Enemies.
And then daughter Sinatra wants George Clooney? If Clooney is anyone in the Rat Pack, he's clearly Dean Martin. I mean, he'd have to be drunk, but then he's clearly Dean Martin. Get a grip.
Let's put this baby to bed right now. Scorsese, just do a Google search for "Sinatra impersonator" and go with the first guy under 50. Not only will you get someone who probably looks vaguely like Sinatra and have the voice, he'll surely have his own fedora. That's $avings. And when you want him to sing for the wrap party, it's just another $200 plus drink tickets! You're welcome.
(via Cinematical)