Leonardo DiCaprio, Adrien Brody Circle “Evil Knievel” Biopic

When I was a kid, there were few things considered genuinely cooler than super-star motorcycle stuntman Evil Knievel, A.K.A. Robert Craig Knievel. Exhibiting not only laser like riding precision but also a real Barnum and Bailey-like flair for showmanship. Knievel was a real-life comic book hero come to glorious and flamboyant life, thrilling kids of all ages and races throughout the world. The zenith in my love affair with Evil came in the form of the 1972 Evil Knievel action figure. This seven-inch piece of gaudy plastic made to resemble everyone’s favorite Grand Canyon and Caesar’s Palace waterfall jumper was a treasure for any action seeking kid and I quickly put it through its paces, racking up enough play time to easily compete with my Slinky or Stretch Armstrong doll.  At any rate, my point is that Evil Knievel might be a footnote to subsequent generations, but for my ilk he was the Grand Man who kiddom, if they’d had their Bazooka gum chewing way, would have been leading the Free World as President of, well, everything.

Our high-flying pals over at The Hollywood Reporter revealed last week that none other than Oscar-winner Leonardo DiCaprio is in serious talks to take on the role of 1970’s pop culture icon Evil Knievel in an upcoming feature film from Babylon director Damien Chazelle. And what’s more, it looks as if recent two-time Oscar winner Adrien Brody might be joining him as the man who received a beat down from Knievel with nothing less than an aluminum bat. Wait, are we sure that Quentin Tarantino isn’t directing this one?

Set to be released via Paramount Studios, the as of yet untitled biopic about Evil Knievel is being written by William Monahan. In fact, it’s by virtue of Monahan’s attachment to the new picture that DiCaprio is seriously considering the role; the wordsmith wrote another film starring the Shutter Island star, The Departed. So in other words, we can probably expect something more substantive with this new film that doesn’t involve two hours of wheelies in a Walmart parking lot; just a hunch.

 Should DiCaprio put his foot on the gas pedal, look for the Evil Knievel deep dive to begin shooting this summer. It might be best to hold off any premature celebrations regarding this very intriguing casting news: DiCaprio has a reputation for flirting with projects before ultimately striking out for greener pastures. At various times throughout his decades-long career, he’s been associated with biopics on James Dean, Chet Baker, an attorney pursuing justice for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., as well as roles in Boogie Nights and Primal Fear (Edward Norton and Mark Wahlberg send their thanks, Leo).

As card-carrying Evil Knievel fans as well as confirmed flag-waving aficionados for Leonardo DiCaprio and Adrien Brody, we’ll keep everyone posted on this upcoming biopic as more information comes in!