"The Revenant" star Leonardo DiCaprio is attached to play the 1950s music pioneer icon and Elvis Presley's producer Sam Phillips in the new biopic for Paramount Pictures. He is also set to produce it with Jennifer Davisson through their Appian Way banner.
According to Variety, Paramount Pictures has acquired the rights to the biography "Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock 'N' Roll." It is currently looking to attach a writer to the project.
"Sam Phillips" biopic is based on Peter Guralnick novel. It is penned by Mick Jagger, Victoria Pearman, Steve Bing, Ian Montone, Rick Yorn, and Peter Guralnick, who are also on as producers. It was published by Little Brown in 2015 and previously authored the definitive Presley books "Last Train To Memphis" and "Careless Love."
Phillips was the pioneering music producer in the music industry during the 1950s, changing music forever with a force for integration, Deadline reported. He is from the tiny Memphis-based Sun Studio. He helped launch the diverse careers of Elvis Presley, Howlin' Wolf, Johnny Cash, Ike Turner, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.
DiCaprio recently signed a first-look deal with Paramount Pictures. He is also on board to potentially star in the Beth Macy book "Truevine: Two Brothers, A Kidnapping, And A Mother's Quest; A True Story Of The Jim Crow South."
"The Devil In The White City: Murder, Magic And Madness At The Fair That Changed America" is another book-to-film adaptation that could be DiCaprio's dance card shortly. It is under the Appian Way banner as well and a Martin Scorsese-directed adaptation from Erik Larson. It is about the true story of a serial killer Dr. HH Holmes who constructed a slaughterhouse called The World's Fair Hotel and killed 27 to 200 people.
However, DiCaprio has not chosen the next project yet like "Sam Phillips." He is still on the lookout for his next role after winning the Best Actor for his performance as Hugh Glass in "The Revenant." He is represented by LBI Entertainment.
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