DiCaprio to play Viking in Mel Gibson-directed historical action film

Mel Gibson will direct Leonardo DiCaprio in an untitled period drama centering on Viking culture, according to Variety. William Monahan – who wrote The Departed, Body of Lies, and the upcoming Gibson-starring Edge of Darkness – is penning the screenplay, with shooting expected to start in fall of 2010.

According to the report, the principals have confirmed the project but would not divulge many details surrounding the film, other than that DiCaprio will play a Viking in a storyline that is expected to be as brutal as Gibson’s other period directing efforts, Braveheart, The Passion of the Christ and Apocalypto.

“This will be an awe-inspiring story, created with some of the industry’s finest cinematic talent, and I am just over the moon to be making this film with Mel, Leo and Bill,” King said in a statement after the principals confirmed the project to Daily Variety.

DiCaprio just completed the Christopher Nolan-directed Inception for Warner Bros. and will next be seen in the Martin Scorsese thriller Shutter Island, which Paramount will release on February 19th. Gibson, who will next appear in front of the camera in Edge of Darkness, just completed the Jodie Foster-directed The Beaver. Monahan just wrote a script for the historic adventure film Tripoli, and is working on a sequel to the Oscar-winning thriller The Departed.