Oscar-winning screenwriter David Franzoni has sparked outrage after saying he wants to cast Leonardo DiCaprio as Persian poet Jalaluddin al-Rumi in a new biopic.
The Gladiator writer told the Guardian that he intends to "challenge the stereotypical portrayal of Muslim characters in western cinema" by giving "a face and a story" to the Sufi scholar.
While the intentions to bring the story of Rumi to the big screen, the plan to cast a white actor has been met with resentment.
And although production is a while off, Franzoni and producer Stephen Joel Brown intend to approach DiCaprio and Robert Downey Jr for the parts of Rumi and Iranian mystic Shams of Tabriz. "This is the level of casting that we're talking about," Brown said.
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Franzoni said: "We're trying to invent and resurrect a character at the same time because there is so much missing in the shadow of history, and some of it is idealised so you have to go back and find the human being who became a saint, because we can't write."
The film will focus on Rumi's teachings and meeting with Shams, who inspired much of his poetry.
Words by Josh Teal
Featured Image Credit:Topics: Leonardo DiCaprio
