Martin Scorsese Reportedly Reviving Sinatra Biopic Project: Who Will Play Frank?

Award-winning director Martin Scorsese looks set to revive his plans for a Frank Sinatra biopic. He is eyeing his frequent collaborator and muse, Leonardo DiCaprio, for the lead role, while Jennifer Lawrence is being considered to play Hollywood actress and Sinatra’s second wife, Ava Gardner.

The 81-year-old director is reportedly gearing up to shoot two new films soon, and it's not just any project. The long-shelved Frank Sinatra biopic has attracted major attention, even from industry giants Sony and Apple. Sinatra, a music icon, is considered one of the most popular entertainers of the mid-20th century, making this project all the more intriguing.

Credit: Credit: Paramount Pictures

Scorsese has been planning for the biopic since at least 2011. In 2016, the award-winning director confirmed that the idea had been shelved following disagreements with the Sinatra estate regarding the director exploring Sinatra’s complex background in the proposed movie.

“We can’t do it!” the director said at the time. “I think it is finally over. They won’t agree to it. Certain things are very difficult for a family, and I totally understand. But, if they expect me to be doing it, they can’t hold back certain things.”

Tina Sinatra, the daughter of the legendary crooner with his first wife Nancy Barbato and overseer of her father’s estate, has not yet approved any new plans for a biopic.

Should the project finally proceed with the current rumoured cast, this will be the second time DiCaprio and Lawrence will bring their undeniable star power to the set. The two were first seen together in the acclaimed Netflix film Don’t Look Up (2021), about two astronomers attempting to warn humanity about an approaching interstellar threat.

Credit: Credit: Netflix

Rest assured, the potential Frank Sinatra biopic is in good hands. Director Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have a proven track record of success throughout their 20-year collaboration. Their latest project, Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), about the series of murders committed against the Osage people in the 1920s, was nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture.

Variety further reports that aside from the biopic, Scorsese is reportedly planning to bring A Life of Jesus to the big screens, based on the book written by Shusaku Endo. The director previously adapted Endo’s historical fiction novel Silence into a movie in 2016.