Disney has reportedly won the bidding war for Leonardo DiCaprio, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The project has previously been described as a riff on Goodfellas, which will see Johnson play a "ruthless Hawaiian crime boss." The character is based on a real-life person, reportedly Wilford "Nappy" Pulawa, and is set in the '60s and '70s.

Per Deadline's initial report, with The Hollywood Reporter providing additional details, Disney has seemingly won the bidding war for the Scorsese movie. Specifically, Disney's 20th Century Studios division will produce the project. The full details about whom the studio was competing against in this bid were not revealed, but THR noted that the untitled Scorsese film managed to avoid landing on a streaming platform.

What This Means For Martin Scorsese's Film

This Is His Second Recent Project To Be Pegged By 20th Century Studios

This marks the second Scorsese project to be tapped by 20th Century Studios. The Disney subsidiary also nabbed The Devil in the White City, an Erik Larson book adaptation also set to star DiCaprio. This will create an active working relationship between Scorsese, DiCaprio, and 20th Century that has the potential to greatly benefit both projects. The studio's acquisition of The Devil in the White City also likely helped them win the gangster project.

The closure of the bidding war is also a generally good sign of the movie's progress. While the film still lacks a title and release date, the strong studio backing is the first step in moving forward on the project. Scorsese does have two projects in the works, so it will be interesting to see what Disney and 20th Century end up prioritizing in the production process. But for now, any forward progress is good news for the work that is still very much in the development phase.

Our Take 20th Century Getting This Martin Scorsese Film

He Has Worked With The Group Once Before

This deal will be an exciting return for Scorsese. The director worked with 20th Century Studios (formerly 20th Century Fox) on his 1982 film The King of Comedy. Over 40 years and a dozen Scorsese films have ed since the release, giving the director a fresh chance to work with the studio. The movie's plot remains incredibly intriguing, and with a strong cast and studio involved, the movie is bound to be a success.

Source: Deadline and THR