Will DiCaprio’s next acting challenge be Russian President Vladimir Putin?

Leonardo DiCaprio isn’t interested in fluff roles. In fact, it seems the actor is at a stage in his career where he’s only interested in challenges — and big ones at that. He dove head first into his role as the revenge-obsessed Hugh Glass in The Revenenant and he’ll soon play perhaps the most notorious serial killer in American history, but that hasn’t stopped him from thinking about what infamous and/or complicated characters he might play in the future. In an interview with German publication Welt am Sonntag (translated by The Guardian), the subject of Russian President Vladimir Putin came up, and the actor called the pugnacious autocrat ““very, very, very interesting,” adding: “I would love to play him.” He went on to add that he’s something of a student of Russian history and that there are many stories from the country that intrigue him. “I think there should be more films about Russian history because it has many stories worthy of Shakespeare. That is fascinating for an actor. Lenin also would be an interesting role. I would like also like to star as Rasputin.” We’re just spitballing here but how about an art-house project where he plays all three in the same movie? It would take some talented people to pull that off but, these days, it seems like anything’s possible for The Revenant star, who is riding a wave of positive press in his quest to notch his first-ever Best Actor Oscar. Fans may remember that Putin famously called DiCaprio a “muzhik” or “real man” for his perseverance during a difficult and oft-deterred visit to the country, and Leo has reportedly described himself as “half Russian” in the past. We’ll be sure to let you know when/if there is any effort to actually make this happen, but if nothing else, it’s a glimpse into the mind of one of biggest actors on the planet right now. Most directors may go their entire careers looking for a muse. Martin Scorsese was lucky enough to find two in Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio. Scorsese’s collaborations with the two actors helped him craft some of the most iconic movies of all time. Scorsese’s collaborations with De Niro from the 1970s to 1990s turned the director into a household name, while his partnership with DiCaprio further cemented his legacy as the greatest living American filmmaker. And Scorsese may even become TikTok’s biggest breakout star before his career ends. De Niro has collaborated with Scorsese on ten films: Mean Streets; Taxi Driver; New York, New York; Raging Bull; The King of Comedy; Goodfellas; Cape Fear; Casino; The Irishman; and Killers of the Flower Moon. For DiCaprio, it’s six films with Scorsese: Gangs of New York, The Aviator, The Departed, Shutter Island, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Killers of the Flower Moon. Apple Studios hasn’t been shy about loading up Apple TV+ with a large number of original films in order to fill out its cinematic library. So when an Apple movie is heading toward theaters with a wide release, it’s a big deal. And it doesn’t get much bigger than director Martin Scorsese dropping a new crime epic, Killers of the Flower Moon, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro in the leading roles. According to the new trailer’s tagline, it’s “based on a true American story,” and it is. But it’s not a happy story that makes the country look good. Instead, this is a dark tale of murder and greed. Killers of the Flower Moon — Official Trailer Director Martin Scorsese made his name with a number of crime epics over the past five decades of cinema. And he has at least one more coming to theaters this year in Killers of the Flower Moon. Scorsese is reteaming with his frequent collaborators Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro for a chilling tale that is based upon a true story. And while the first trailer withholds a lot of information about the plot, it does arrive at its point with a loaded question: “Can you spot the wolves in this picture?” Killers of the Flower Moon — Official Teaser Trailer