K.T Simpson
Director Steven Spielberg and actor Leonardo DiCaprio are reportedly in early talks with Lionsgate to reteam for biopic on Ulysses S. Grant. DiCaprio is also set to produce with Appian Way.
Appian Way and Lionsgate acquired the rights to the picture late last year, and Spielberg is said to be keen to direct DiCaprio again, after their last picture together : 2002’s “Catch Me If You Can”.
The film is being adapted from the biography by Ron Chernow, with David James Kelly adpating the book.
For those unfamiliar with Ulysses S. Grant, here’s a bit of a history lesson for you (courtesy of the Deadline report):
Grant was one of the most complicated military leaders-turned politicians in American history. Down on his luck with failing businesses and a resignation from the army amid accusations of drunkenness, Grant enjoyed a rousing second act as Abraham Lincoln’s most trusted general. He won the battle of Shiloh and the Vicksburg campaign, and defeated the legendary Southern Confederate general Robert E. Lee. His military genius propelled him to two terms in the White House. He was a champion for black Americans and worked to crush the Ku Klux Klan, even as there were scandals involving administration’s leaders. Grant had EKG-like highs and lows even after his presidency, seeing his fortune swindled on Wall Street but resuscitating himself working with Mark Twain on his critically acclaimed memoirs.
