Guess who they say Leo will play this time!

Ok, first off I want to put an end to all this speculation I've been getting in emails that I don't like Leonardo DiCaprio. WRONG! I loved TITANIC. I'm a huge fan of his ROMEO AND JULIET. And... to tell the truth, I don't think I've seen a bad Leo movie.

However, I am fascinated by this backlash against one of the finest young actors we have today. Now listen. I've met a fair share of 'star' types and celebs, and ya know what? In alot of ways they are embarrassed by their popularity. I bet you anything that when Leo walks into a grocery store or a gas station and sees a tabloid with the latest... LEO bit... He groans and rolls his eyes. And I bet the teeny bopper magazines make him feel miserable. But... He can't complain about the pay, so he just lives his life, best he can and tries to avoid as much of the flashbulbs as possible.

However, the fact of the matter is the guy is incredibly popular... And I'm getting a big kick about how he's rumored for just about everything under the sun. Let's see... In the last month we've heard he's up for ANAKIN (status: depending who you talk to in the land of yik yak, you'll hear he signed on the dotted line December of 1998 or that he'll sign in two weeks or that he's playing hardball negotiating for points off the backend with Lucas or he's turned it down based on a terrible script. What's true? We'll probably find out relatively soon. But at the moment the biggest buzz I'm hearing says... wait two weeks.) YOUNG SONNY (Well, Hollywood Reporter posted this one, and well... their own poll asking if Coppola should make a 4th GODFATHER says NO... But nobody makes decisions based on polls in Hollywood... Do they? Apparently this is a solid rumor, but James Caan was on Howard Stern yesterday and said that he hadn't heard anything about Godfather 4. He joked that Francis probably hadn't either.) ELVIS the teenage/early twenties years (The script was offered to him, but it is unknown if he's sent it back or if he's considering it) and now...

Well VARIETY's Latest Article says that after Michael Mann and Leo fell through trying to hook up to make a JAMES DEAN biopic, that they are now aiming to make a HOWARD HUGHES biopic scripted by John Logan. Now... if John Logan can pen a biopic of Hughes like he did his RKO 281 Orson Welles making of Citizen Kane script... Well, I'd line up for that. However, the Hughes Brothers' directed HOWARD HUGHES project with Johnny Depp as Huges has my interest even further. After watching Johnny Depp playing such noted weirdoes as ED WOOD and Hunter S Thompson in FEAR AND LOATHING IN LAS VEGAS... I'd just about kill (a six pack of GUINNESS) to watch Mr Depp shine on as the man with the silk pajamas and the kleenex box-shoes.

So... Which of these projects and alleged parts will Leo choose? Which would you accept him in? Will THE BEACH ruin his career? I don't know. I do know that I happen to love Danny Boyle films, so no matter what I'm there opening weekend for THE BEACH. I know Leo is a tremendous character actor that has suddenly been thrust forward as one of the highest profile stars in Hollywood.

What I do know is this. Apparently alot of people that read this site that write in at TALK BACK have some sort of ISSUE with Leonardo. I've heard that 'there are thousands of unknown actors chomping at the bit for their big chance, and DiCaprio is hogging all the projects." This is one of the most pathetic whimpering jealous outcries I've ever seen. Leo put in his time as an actor for YEARS.... He's had small parts and big parts. He's been in the BIG STUDIO FILM and the little arthouse film. He really seems to love his craft and hate the hype... So... try giving the guy a break. To quote Jake and Elwood, "Afterall he's just a man..."