Damien Chazelle And Leonardo DiCaprio Set To Tackle Evel Knievel Biopic For Paramount

Could this high-stakes project mark a major comeback for the Babylon director?

Damien Chazelle may be revving up for another shot at cinematic glory. After the ambitious Babylon fell short at the box office in 2022, Chazelle appeared to be grappling with the uncertainty of "director’s jail." Now, a new report suggests that the La La Land director might soon be back behind the camera, this time with a project that's both daring and high-profile: an Evel Knievel biopic for Paramount.

The proposed film would star Leonardo DiCaprio as the legendary daredevil, with William Monahan of The Departed fame penning the script. DiCaprio’s involvement signals that Paramount is willing to take a big-budget gamble on Chazelle once again.

Evel Knievel, a stuntman who became a pop-culture icon, is known for his fearless motorcycle jumps over rows of cars, buses, and even live sharks. Starting with a modest jump over rattlesnakes and a mountain lion in 1965, Knievel’s career culminated in the infamous 1977 attempt to leap over a tank of 13 sharks. Over his career, Knievel attempted over 75 ramp-to-ramp jumps and suffered 433 bone fractures, a Guinness World Record for the most broken bones in a lifetime. His audacious feats defined a generation of thrill-seekers and made him a household name.

Interestingly, DiCaprio was originally set to collaborate with Chazelle on Babylon before scheduling conflicts led to Brad Pitt taking the role. Should this Evel Knievel project move forward, it would mark their first official collaboration—a pairing that could spark considerable excitement among film buffs.

With Chazelle's flair for dramatizing obsession (Whiplash) and spectacle (La La Land), this biopic offers an opportunity for him to blend both skill sets. While fans of his stripped-back storytelling might have been intrigued by his planned mid-budget prison film, the high-flying stunts and risks of Evel Knievel's story seem well-suited to Chazelle’s dynamic style.

If everything pans out, expect DiCaprio, Chazelle, and daredevil theatrics to create cinematic magic once more. Stay tuned for updates on this potentially electrifying project.

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Source: Film Stories

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