It seems unlikely that Leonardo DiCaprio will ever make the once-proposed Rise of Theodore Roosevelt — even less plausible is a production that moves forward with Martin Scorsese, as had once been expected — so perhaps what follows is consolation. As reported by TheWrap, a recently released biography, penned by A. Scott Berg, will serve as the basis for an as-of-now-untitled biopic centered on the life and times of Woodrow Wilson; DiCaprio will both star and produce, these latter duties handled, per usual, through Appian Way.
The company, along with Warner Bros., have purchased rights to a text which, by the sound of it, dives into the essential, potentially “basic” territories of the President’s career: an academic upbringing; an eight-year term as President of Princeton University; an election; another election; World War I; a debilitating stroke; death. Considering Wilson’s struggles with the Great War — negotiations with foreign allies, public pushback, the German aggression which served as a direct impetus for U.S. involvement, etc. — are surely a central component to this narrative, it’s for the better that, based on first assessments, Berg nailed those behind-closed-doors details; although a book-to-screen translation will soon to an eventual scribe, this much gives the title some pre-production credibility.
And while I’d never entirely expect a biopic of America’s 28th President to get the go-ahead, a strong personal jibing with DiCaprio‘s choices, especially as of late, lends some credibility that another, less-dependable performer might’ve failed to provide. (My generally “fine” reaction to J. Edgar may help matters, for all we know.) For the time being, ambivalent positivity might be the proper outlook.
Does Woodrow Wilson’s story deserve big-screen treatment, and is DiCaprio the right man to make it happen?