Controversial Playboy founder Hugh Hefner died last week at the age of 91, but his passing appears to have put new life into the long-standing attempt to make a biopic about the man. The latest move? Jared Leto will wrap himself in the iconic pajamas and smoking jacket.
Brett Ratner is attached to direct, having monitored the movie's progress through different levels of development hell. It has been set up at studios such as Universal and Warner Bros. and at one point, Robert Downey Jr. took an interest in the lead. Now, though, Ratner has the rights and is developing his take via his RatPac Entertainment company. And he's been talking to Leto about the lead for a while, aiming to introduce him to Hefner at the Playboy Mansion last April. While that didn't come to pass (Hefner was too ill to greet anyone), he's confident Leto will do the job justice. "Jared is an old friend," he says. "When he heard I got the rights to Hef's story, he told me, 'I want to play him. I want to understand him.' And I really believe Jared can do it. He's one of the great actors of today."
Hefner's life certainly offers enough material for a compelling biopic, but his impact on the word – for good or ill – continues to be debated after his death.
As for Leto, he'll next be seen in Blade Runner 2049, which is out on Thursday.