Scorsese And Di Caprio Team Up On Hughes Bio

[Friday, December 13th, 2002]
Miramax Films is teaming with Warner Bros. to finance "The Aviator," will be the next picture for both Leonardo DiCaprio and director Martin Scorsese, reports Variety.

The script begins as a young Hughes directs one of Scorsese's favorite films, "Hell's Angels." Hughes was so obsessed with perfection in the aerial sequences that he waits forever for perfect conditions, right down to cloud formations. His obsessions with aviation, moviemaking and women fascinated Scorsese. The story ends in 1946, when Hughes was still a dashing young man and romancing actresses like Eva Gardner and Katharine Hepburn, romances that will be depicted in the film.

Scorsese has been sweet on John Logan's "Hughes" script since filmmaker Michael Mann asked him to read it in January. Mann expected to direct it himself with DiCaprio starring but wanted a biopic break after directing "Ali" and "The Insider."

Mann, who owned the script, decided to step aside. The first director he showed it to was Scorsese.

A Castle Rock-based rival Hughes picture to be written and directed by Chris Nolan for Jim Carrey will cover the industrialist's rise and descent to reclusive germophobe. That film's based on the Richard Hack book "Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters."

Shooting will begin May 12 in Los Angeles for likely release in fall 2004.

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