After his venture into family friendly fare, Martin Scorsese has decided to reunite with his latest recurring collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio for The Wolf of Wall Street, a biopic based on Jordan Belfort's shocking memoir which detailed his avarice and exploits as a high-powered stockbroker in the 1980s and '90s. Fueled by hard drugs, wild parties, casual sex and insane paydays, Belfort was the toast of Wall Street and a millionaire by 26. His greed ultimately became all-consuming, leading him to shady dealings that landed him in federal prison for security fraud and money-laundering. The two have been attached to the project for over a year, but now it looks like the movie is finally ready to get going.
Belfort's book has been cheered for its bravado and humor, and his high-octane investment firm Stratton Oakmont was rumored to be the inspiration for Ben Younger's memorable thriller Boiler Room. So, it's easy to see what would attract Scorsese to the project. Deadline reports that he and DiCaprio have long looked to reteam on The Wolf of Wall Street, and it appears they'll have the chance this summer. For their fifth collaboration, DiCaprio will not only be Scorsese's star but also his co-producer. Once DiCaprio wraps on Quentin Tarantino's Django Unchained he'll head to New York to begin prepping production for August. Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter will give the screenplay a polish before shooting begins, but buzz about The Wolf of Wall Street suggests that this white collar crime drama will not only investigate the decadence and greed of the '80s and '90s, but also serve as a chilling reminder of how far we haven't come.
It's suspected Red Granite Pictures, which is fully financing the film, will begin selling distribution rights for The Wolf of Wall Street at this spring's Cannes Film Festival, months before a single scene is shot. Of course, with an attention-grabbing team like this, it should prove an easy sell.
