01 July,2016 08:05 AM IST | | Agencies
Known for playing iconic characters ranging from Howard Hughes in 'The Aviator' to Hugh Glass in 'The Revenant', Leonardo DiCaprio will reportedly not be essaying Persian poet Rumi anytime soon, contrary to rumours
Known for playing iconic characters ranging from Howard Hughes in 'The Aviator' to Hugh Glass in 'The Revenant', Leonardo DiCaprio will reportedly not be essaying Persian poet Rumi anytime soon, contrary to rumours.
Leonardo DiCaprio
Screenwriter David Franzoni and producer Stephen Joel Brown, who are working on a film about the 13th century poet, said in an interview that DiCaprio was their top choice to play Rumi.
However, sources close to DiCaprio say no one from the film has reached out to him about the project.
"He hasn't been asked, but, regardless, he will not be pursuing the project," says a source.
Meanwhile, thousands of people signed a petition demanding producers cast a Middle Eastern actor to play the poet in the film. The petitioners called it the 'Hollywood whitewashing' for not giving Muslim actors positive roles and typecasting them as negative only.
