Jared Leto, who is popular for his portrayal of the Joker in the hit movie "Suicide Squad," has taken a new role as Hugh Hefner in the upcoming biopic directed by Brett Ratner, according to Hollywood Reporter. The 45-year-old actor is set to play the protagonist character in the movie as Hugh Hefner, the founder of Playboy, who passed away on September 27 at the age 91.
As to why Ratner thinks that Leto is the best fit for this iconic role, the 48-year-old film producer said that he perceives him as one the great actors of this generation who can carry the role perfectly.
"I want to play him. I want to understand him. And I really believe that Jared can do it. He's one of the great actors of today." Ratner explained.
Why Jared Leto is the best fit
Hugh Hefner's life story is extremely controversial and Leto has always been looked up to for portraying challenging roles on the big screen. Aside from the fact that Ratner is confident of the actor's potentials, his real-life friendship with Leto seems to be a huge factor.
Reports say that Jared Leto was not the first choice to play Hugh Hefner as actors Robert Downey Jr. and Hugh Jackman were also considered to take the big role. What makes the movie more interesting to look forward to is the fact that the main lead never got the chance to meet Hefner in person, which means another challenging project has just been added to the actor's checklist.
While Ratner has yet to reveal further details about the new movie and who else will be joining the final casting aside from Leto, the veteran movie-maker is sure that he only wants this project to be seen "as an event."
When will the anticipated movie begin filming?
Brett Ratner has already selected the actor for the role, but the filming schedule and other details about the project have yet to be revealed.
However, many believe that the shooting might take place sometime in 2018, as Jared Leto still has a lot of work to finish before the year ends.
Aside from taking the role in this Brett Ratner project, Jared Leto has been busy preparing for the upcoming premiere of "Blade Runner 2049" which will be taking place later this week.
It is not known yet if the hardworking actor would still be up to accept more projects before the year ends. A lot could also depend on the success of the "Blade Runner" sequel and if it leads to even more job offers.
For now, stay tuned on Blasting News to get the latest updates about the upcoming Brett Ratner project.
