Leonardo DiCaprio to Star in Multiple Personality Movie ‘The Crowded Room’

His company Appian Way will produce the long-gestating project with New Regency

Leonardo DiCaprio is gunning for an Oscar and he’ll play just about anybody — or rather, everybody — to get one, as the four-time acting nominee is set to star in New Regency’s multiple personality tale “The Crowded Room,” TheWrap has learned.

After nearly 20 years of circling the role of Billy Milligan, DiCaprio has committed to play the first person to successfully use multiple personality disorder as a defense in a court of law. Milligan was put on trial in the late 1970s after being accused of raping three women at Ohio State University, as well as committing robbery.

Milligan had 24 personalities including Adalana, a lesbian who took responsibility for the rapes; Ragen, a Yugoslavian communist who confessed to the robbery; and Arthur, an uptight Englishman.

Milligan’s lawyers argued that his alternate personalities committed the crimes without his knowledge, and he subsequently became the first person to be acquitted using the defense of a multiple personality disorder diagnosis. Milligan died last December, perhaps paving the way for Hollywood to finally tell his story.

DiCaprio’s Appian Way will produce “The Crowded Room” with New Regency, which is currently producing DiCaprio’s next movie “The Revenant.” DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson will produce with Alexandra Milchan.

Screenwriters Jason Smilovic and Todd Katzberg will adapt Daniel Keyes’ nonfiction book about Milligan for New Regency, which has been developing the project for several years.

The Hollywood Reporter broke the news.

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