Earlier, it was reported that Paramount Pictures is developing a movie about motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel. Now, according to The Illuminerdi, Academy Award winner Leonardo DiCaprio is in talks to lead the biopic, scripted by Boardwalk Empire‘s Terrence Winter.
Leonardo DiCaprio to play the role of Evel Knievel
When the biopic was announced, it was stated that William Monahan, who won an Oscar for The Departed in the Best Adapted Screenplay category, would be scripting the film. However, now, Terrence Winter, who wrote the Oscar-nominated adapted screenplay for The Wolf of Wall Street, has stepped into the role. However, according to The Illuminerdi, the makers of the biopic are yet to finalise the director. Leonardo DiCaprio is in talks to play Evel Knievel, however, the actor is yet to confirm any such reports.
The biopic will still be based on the book Evel Knievel On Tour by Sheldon Saltman. For the unversed, The publication of Sheldon Saltman’s book in 1977 outraged Evel, who asserted that the book misled the public about him and his family. A few weeks after the release of the book, Evel went onto the Fox lot, where Saltman was a VP, and broke Saltman’s arm with a baseball bat.
Who was Evel Knievel?
Evel Knievel was an American Stuntman known as The Last Gladiator. He rose to fame after doing dangerous stunts which often involved jumping off a succession of cars. Throughout his career, he attempted more than 75 ramp-to-ramp motorcycle jumps. Knievel’s most famous stunts were attempts to jump the fountains at Caesars Palace and Snake River Canyon in Idaho, which resulted in severe injuries. Throughout his career, he suffered more than 433 bone fractures and became a legendary figure.
Leonardo DiCaprio’s upcoming movie
Meanwhile, Leonardo DiCaprio will be next seen in an American crime drama thriller film written and directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, titled The Battle of Baktan Cross. The film also stars Regina Hall, Sean Penn, Alana Haim, Teyana Taylor, Wood Harris, and Benicio del Toro and is scheduled to release in August 2025.
