- guardian.co.uk, Thursday September 6 2007 10.29 BST
Green king... Leonardo DiCaprio. Photograph: Chris Pizzello/AP
Leonardo DiCaprio could star in a big-screen version of I, Claudius after the rights to Robert Graves's novel were obtained by veteran producer Scott Rudin. According to a story in the Hollywood Reporter, DiCaprio and screenwriter William Monahan are currently circling the project. The pair last collaborated on Martin Scorsese's Oscar-winning crime drama The Departed.
First published in 1934, I, Claudius is a Roman epic purporting to be the autobiography of the fourth emperor of Rome, who ruled from AD41-54. It detailed the political machinations at work within the Empire. The tale was first adapted by director Josef von Sternberg in 1937, with Charles Laughton in the title role. In 1976 it was overhauled as an acclaimed BBC miniseries, starring Derek Jacobi and John Hurt.
The latest version of I, Claudius has yet to find an official studio home. However, the Hollywood Reporter suggests the most likely backers are the Disney divisions Touchstone or Miramax, pointing out that Rudin's production company is based on the Disney lot.
Rudin recently produced The Queen and Notes on a Scandal. Other forthcoming projects include Wes Anderson's The Darjeeling Limited and Paul Thomas Anderson's There Will Be Blood.
