By Sophia Nurse
Hollywood’s hottest method actor, Jared Leto has signed on to portray Andy Warhol in a new biopic about the esteemed American artist.
The news arrives soon after Leto’s lukewarm portrayal of the Joker in Suicide Squad, where he failed to live up to the prior praise received for Heath Ledger’s performance of the beloved DC Comics villain.
Leto will also be tackling the Producer role with Michael De Luca, while the screenplay will be penned by Terrence Winter, who has previously worked on The Sopranos, Boardwalk Empire, and The Wolf of Wall Street. The film is based on author Victor Bockris’ account of the pop artist’s life, Warhol: The Biography. Despite rising to prominence in the 1960s, Warhol’s visual commentary on American consumerism seems more relevant than ever, while his incorporation of Campbell’s soup cans and Coca-Cola bottles has become iconic well outside the art world. Plus, Warhol might have a little something to do with our website name, too.
Here’s hoping that Leto can regain his reputation and acting credibility with this new role. A Bohemian intellectual and a hypochondriac, the role of Andy Warhol is definitely down Jared Leto’s alley, who’s known for his portrayal of eccentric characters – previously playing a transgender woman and a heroine addict in films Dallas Buyers Club and Requiem for a Dream.
Let’s hope that Leto can redeem himself in the role of the creative genius.
