While there’s still no word on whether or not Will Smith (Men in Black) will take the lead role in the upcoming western from Pulp Fiction director Quetein Tarantino; Django Unchained; it appears as though one key piece of casting could soon be finalized; as Leonardo DiCaprio (Shutter Island) has just entered talks to star.
Should the talks go well, DiCaprio will star as the film’s villain; a ranch owner named Calvin Candie,who exploits female slaves as sex objects in his club, and pits men against each other in a series of death matches; whom the former slave Django must face in order to free his wife.
Deadline are currently reporting that while talks are still in the early stages, there’s a high likelihood of DiCaprio joining the film (or at least a higher chance than seeing Will Smith; who is now referred to as “a long shot”), making him the latest expected name, alongside Christoph Waltz; who won an Oscar for appearing in Tarantino’s Inglorious Basterds, and is expected to play a German bounty hunter who helps Django on his bloody quest; and Samuel L. Jackson; another Tarantino regular (having appeared in several of his films, including Pulp Fiction) who’s expected to play the villain’s personal slave.
As of yet no formal release date has been announced, though with production slated to being this coming fall, it’s likely that we could expect to see Django Unchained in cinemas as early as next year, or certainly by 2013, and if Will Smith passes on the movie, there’s already a list of back-up stars; including Idris Elba (The Wire), Jamie Foxx (The Kingdom), and Chris Tucker (Rush Hour).
Matt Wheeldon.
Source: Deadline.
