The story of Volkswagen’s emissions scandal is getting the Hollywood treatment, and Leonaro DiCaprio will be riding along. According to Variety, the actor-slash-producer is set to produce the upcoming Paramount film, along with Jennifer Davisson, his Appian Way Productions colleague.
As a notable environmentalist, it’s fitting that DiCaprio would want to get in on a project that chronicles the discovery of illegal software in clean diesel cars that violated Environmental Protection Agency standards. The world was shocked when it came out that the respected German automaker had been cheating on emissions tests. In light of the scandal, Volkswagen faces $18 billion in fines from the EPA and has had to begin restructuring.
Writer Jack Ewing is set to pen a book about the scandal, and the film will be based on his final product now that Paramount has secured the movie rights. Currently, no actors are attached to the project yet, nor is a director. Of course, fans would be happy to see DiCaprio take on an acting role in addition to his duties as producer.
This is not the first time that DiCaprio has integrated his interest in environmentalism into his work. Most recently, he executive produced Cowspiracy, a documentary about how animal agriculture impacts the environment. DiCaprio also executive produced Virunga, a documentary about conservation efforts in Virunga National Park, and created, produced, and narrated The 11th Hour, which focuses on the state of the planet and how to restore it.
The actor’s long career in front of the camera includes acclaimed films like The Aviator, Blood Diamond, The Great Gatsby, and The Wolf of Wall Street. Over the years, he has been nominated for Academy Awards as both an actor and producer. DiCaprio will next appear in The Revenant, which is set to open in a limited number of theaters on Dec. 25 before a wide release in January 2016.
