Warner Bros. is picking up the rights to A. Scott Berg's biography, Wilson, with DiCaprio elected to star and produce through his Appian Way banner. The recently-published book highlights many of the positive, progressive achievements of Wilson's administration, in particular his strong guidance during WWI, while ignoring his downright sad handling of civil rights issues. It's a story that Berg has been wanting to tell for years, looking at Wilson as a personal hero and researching the book for more than twelve years.
Playing Wilson should pose an interesting challenge for DiCaprio, who has had mixed results with biopics of this type. Woodrow Wilson doesn't have the name recognition or notable achievements of a Lincoln or John F. Kennedy, so the trick is going to be finding the right hook to make him appealing to audiences. [THR]
