“Moonlight” director Barry Jenkins is set to write a feature film adaptation of the 2014 documentary “Virunga” for Netflix that Leonardo DiCaprio will produce through his Appian Way banner, an individual with knowledge of the project told TheWrap.
DiCaprio executive produced the Oscar-nominated film “Virunga” that followed the fight to protect endangered mountain gorillas in the Congo. The film launched on Netflix in 2014 and is currently available globally, and it told the true story of rangers risking their lives in Africa’s most precious national park.
Jennifer Davisson, Leonardo DiCaprio and Phillip Watson are producing for Appian Way, as is Joanna Natasegara for Violet Films. And Orlando von Einsiedel, who directed the original documentary, will executive produce.
Jenkins wrote and directed the upcoming Amazon series “The Underground Railroad,” he wrote the screenplay for “Flint Strong,” the directorial debut of cinematographer Rachel Morrison, and he’s attached to next direct a feature biopic on the life of choreographer Alvin Ailey for Searchlight Pictures. He last wrote and directed “If Beale Street Could Talk” based on James Baldwin’s story and won the Oscar for the screenplay for his Best Picture winner “Moonlight.”
DiCaprio as a producer just recently released “And We Go Green,” a documentary about electric car racing that premiered on Hulu, and he’s also executive producing a series remake of “The Right Stuff.”
Deadline first reported the news of the project.