Gibson, DiCaprio Team For Viking Epic

By our guest blogger, Matt Jussim

Mel Gibson will direct and Leonardo DiCaprio will star in a Viking culture-themed untitled period drama for Icon Films, reports Variety.

According to the site: "Kingdom of Heaven" and "The Departed" scribe William Monahan pens the script though plot details are being kept under wraps. Graham King will produce with Gibson and Tim Headington in a co-production between King’s GK Films and Gibson’s Icon Productions. Shooting is expected to begin fall 2010, meaning that if everything falls into place, it would be the next directing effort for Gibson.

Said King: “This will be an awe-inspiring story, created with some of the industry’s finest cinematic talent and I am just over the moon to be making this film with Mel, Leo and Bill.” The producer teamed with DiCaprio and Monahan in the Oscar-winning drama “The Departed,” and just worked with Gibson and Monahan in the Martin Campbell-directed drama “Edge of Darkness.”

DiCaprio will likely take a film before this project. He just completed the Christopher Nolan-directed “Inception” for Warner Bros., and will next be seen in the Martin Scorsese-directed “Shutter Island,” which Paramount releases February 19, 2010.

This is the first time DiCaprio and Gibson will team on a project. Having the two Hollywood giants in the same room is a promising idea, and the subject matter seems perfect for both. DiCaprio has long been fascinated by Viking culture, and Gibson’ has directed other period pieces including “Braveheart,” “The Passion of the Christ” and “Apocalypto.”

Look out for the project sometime in 2011.