HOLLYWOOD - Looks like director Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio make the perfect team. After teaming up for the upcoming film Gangs of New York, Scorsese, DiCaprio and Initial Entertainment Group are ready to join forces again to create the epic Alexander.
The script details the story of Alexander the Great, crowned King of Macedonia, centering on his ambition to conquer the world, which ultimately leads to his downfall.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, IEG has sealed a deal with writers Peter Buchman (Jurassic Park III) and Oscar winner Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects) for a mid-seven-figure sum, billing it as a "multimillion-dollar epic."
"We have paid a significant figure for this excellent script as we believe this is a perfect vehicle for Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese to join forces again following their successful collaboration on Gangs of New York," IEG CEO Graham King told the Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday.
However, the duo is yet to see the national release of Gangs of New York, which has been pushed back until next year.
Pulled from its slated Dec. 21 release earlier this month, Miramax flirted with the idea of releasing the picture for a brief and limited Oscar run before the Dec. 31 deadline. But according to Reuters, it is now believed that Gangs will be released sometime next summer.
Although it is still unclear which companies, if any, will lose money because of the date change and the nixed Oscar run, IEG has created a limited liability company to finance $65 million of Gang's estimated $90 million budget.
That money, which will be used by international distributors for specific international rights, will not be paid out until the picture is released in respective territories.