Leonardo DiCaprio could be heading South for Truevine adaptation

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Is Leonardo DiCaprio a FAST AND FURIOUS car? Because he just went from 0 to 100 in five seconds. *Crickets*. Okay not my best, but still, DiCaprio has been in the news a lot lately, and not just for his climate change doc BEFORE THE FLOOD, but also for his involvement with the upcoming CAPTAIN PLANET project. Now we can add a harrowing true-life account set in 1899 Virginia to the mix.

According to Deadline, Paramount and DiCaprio's Appian Way are in the process of acquiring the rights to the Beth Macy book Truevine: Two Brothers, A Kidnapping, And A Mother’s Quest; A True Story Of The Jim Crow South, a true story about two young albino African American boys, George and Willie Muse, who were kidnapped and forced to work as circus freaks while their mother searched for them for almost 30 years. Though the boys became stars for their work, their performances perpetuated cruel and false stereotypes and caricatures of the African American community. The project will also act as a possible starring vehicle for the Oscar-winning actor, and if DiCaprio does take on a role he will most likely play one of the men who kidnapped the boys.

DiCaprio stole the show with his work in the Western (or Southern, rather) DJANGO UNCHAINED, so I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking he would be great again in a project like this, playing a despicable Southern character. The subject matter alone would make it a difficult movie to watch, and with DiCaprio possibly in a villainous role it could make for an intense, extraordinary experience. He’ll just have to remember to watch his hands around the dinner table this time.

In the meanwhile catch DiCaprio in his upcoming documentary, BEFORE THE FLOOD, on October 30.