It was recently announced that Martin Scorsese would be directing a Frank Sinatra biopic with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence set to star.
This isn’t the first attempt that Scorsese made to get this biopic off the ground with DiCaprio. Several years ago around 2011, a script was written by Field of Dreams scribe Phil Alden Robinson, but that project was scrapped due to a clash with the Sinatra family.
Back in 2016, while doing press from his religious drama Silence, Scorsese told The Toronto Sun that his plans to direct DiCaprio in a Sinatra biopic had been scrapped due to tensions between the director and the Sinatra estate.
The filmmaker said: “We can’t do it! I think it is finally over. They [remaining members of the Sinatra clan] won’t agree to it. Open it up again and I’m there!”
So, what is it that caused the tension? Scorsese wanted to explore the darker side of Sinatra, and the family didn’t want that. Scorsese said: “Certain things are very difficult for a family, and I totally understand.”
He explained: “But, if they expect me to be doing it, they can’t hold back certain things. The problem is that the man was so complex. Everybody is so complex — but Sinatra in particular.”
The family had a different vision, but the thing is, we all know that Sinatra had a dark side! He was in the mob, he was talented, but he did a lot of shady shit! That’s the stuff that audiences are interested in, the dark and gritty side of things and Scorsese is great at telling those stories!
Variety reported that Scorsese “might encounter a similar problem as he plans to relaunch the Sinatra biopic with DiCaprio and Lawrence.: The Sinatra’s estate is run by his daughter, Tina Sinatra, who has not yet given her blessing to the film.”
Lawrence being attached to the role of Ava Gardner might be the reason why; Gardner broke up Sinatra’s marriage to Tina’s mother, Nancy Barbato. It takes two to tango, though! Sinatra also made his own choices.
Anyway, Scorsese wants to shed some light on the darker side of Sinatra’s life and his infidelity is still a sore spot all these years later.
We’ll just have to wait and see if Scrsese will get the family’s blessing this time around.