This feels pretty much inevitable. Martin Scorsese, possibly our most prolific and best-loved Italian-American director, will be tackling an even bigger Italian-American icon, the one and only Frank Sinatra. Scorsese has apparently flirted with a Sinatra biopic for decades, and now Variety reports that he will team up with Universal Pictures and Mandalay Pictures to direct and produce the film.
The studio has both the life and music rights to the singing icon, meaning whoever gets cast in the lead role won't need the musical chops. Producer Cathy Shulman picked out Leonardo DiCaprio as the "obvious" choice for the role, given that Scorsese has cast him in everything he's done this decade. Plus DiCaprio has some of the Sinatra babyface going on, and the ability to be both the seductive ladies man and fairly terrifying when he tries.
There's a lot to work with in Sinatra's life story, and Scorsese seems like the guy who would make more than just a doting biopic (say what you will about The Aviator, but it definitely got into warts-and-all territory). And really, if anyone else were directing this, we'd wonder why Scorsese turned it down. So get to it, Marty and Leo. Cap off your decade of collaboration in style.
