Leonardo DiCaprio to play American religious cult leader Jim Jones in upcoming film

Leonardo DiCaprio will soon be seen as controversial cult leader Jim Jones in a film written by Scott Rosenberg (Venom, Jumanji franchise). 

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project was picked up by MGM, and DiCaprio will star as well as produce via his production banner Appian Way. The actor is currently in final stages of negotiations for the film. Rosenberg is also attached as executive producer.

Jones was the leader of the Peoples Temple, and was responsible for a murder-mass suicide where his followers were directed to drink cynanide-laced punch in a commune in Jonestone, Guyana. This incident claimed the lives of more than 900 people. Jones has been the inspiration behind not just films, books and TV shows, but also songs like 'Ultraviolence' by Lana Del Rey. 

DiCaprio was last seen in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as TV star Rick Dalton who is on the last leg of his acting career in a rapidly changing film industry. The actor has previouslyn emulated many real-life figures like J. Edgar Hoover in J. Edgar, Frank Abagnale Jr. in Catch Me if You Can, Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street, and Howard Hughes in The Aviator.

His other upcoming projects include Adam McKay’s Netflix film Don’t Look Up with Jennifer Lawrence and Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon for Apple Originals Films.