Leonardo DiCaprio to play Rasputin for Warner Bros.

Leonardo DiCaprio is set to portray Grigori Yefimovich Rasputin, the infamous Russian mystic, healer and prolific womaniser who rose to become one of the most influential advisors to the Russian Imperial family the Romanovs in the early 20th century before being poisoned, shot, beaten, shot, strangled, clubbed, shot, castrated and then shot again by his rivals, who then dumped him in the icy Neva River where he subsequently drowned. Or something like that.

The latest screen version of the Mad Monk's mad life has been written by Jason Hall, who recently penned the script for Steven Spielberg's upcoming biopic American Sniper starring Bradley Cooper, and will be produced by DiCaprio's production company Appian Way for Warner Bros. Pictures. Kevin McCormick (Gangster Squad), Jennifer Davisson Killoran (The Ides of March) and Peter Morgan (The Queen) will all serve as producers.

Having recently appeared in Django Unchained and The Great Gatsby, DiCaprio will be seen again this year as he reteams with Martin Scorsese for The Wolf of Wall Street, which also stars Matthew McConaughey (Mud), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), Jonah Hill (This Is the End), Kyle Chandler (Argo), Jon Bernthal (The Walking Dead), and Jon Favreau (Identity Thief).