Jared Leto is one of the most adept actors in Hollywood having successfully played a transgender in Dallas Buyers Club and the Joker in Suicide Squad.
Now the 45-year-old star will be facing another challenge.
On Tuesday it was announced that the Louisiana native will be playing legendary Playboy magazine publisher Hugh Hefner, who died on Wednesday at the age of 91.
A stretch? Jared Leto, right, will be playing Hugh Hefner, left, in a movie, according to a Tuesday report from The Hollywood Reporter
The man: The star with Kendra Wilkinson, Bridget Marquardt, Hugh Hefner, Holly Madison in 2008 when their show Girls Next Door was on the air
The Hollywood Reporter broke the news on Tuesday.
The director will be Brett Ratner, 48, who is best known for the films Rush Hour, Hercules and Tower Heist.
The project is in early development with Ratner’s RatPac Entertainment.
Biz talk: In April, Ratner (center) invited Leto to the Playboy Mansion for the premiere of Amazon’s docuseries American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story. They met with Hef’s executive Dick Rosenzweig, left
‘Jared is an old friend,’ said Ratner, 48.
‘When he heard I got the rights to Hef’s story, he told me, “I want to play him. I want to understand him.” And I really believe Jared can do it. He’s one of the great actors of today.’
The Hef movie has been bouncing around Hollywood for years.
Producer Jerry Weintraub of Ocean’s Eleven fame once wanted to do it.
His second wife: The publisher with Kimberley Conrad, and their two sons Marston Glenn Hefner (left) and Cooper Bradford Hefner, in 1998
The third wife: The star with Crystal Hefner in 2011 in Las Vegas
When he died in 2015, Ratner stepped in.
‘My goal is to do the motion picture as an event,’ said Ratner, who used to date Serena Williams.
In April, Ratner invited Leto to the Playboy Mansion for the premiere of Amazon’s docuseries American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story. They met with Hef’s executive Dick Rosenzweig.
Leto was not able to meet Hefner at the event as he was not feeling well and did not meet guests.
But Ratner feels ‘there’s enough footage on Hef out there that Jared will be able to get as much information as he wants,’ he said.
There are also plays for Brett to revive the Sixties talk show Playboy After Dark which was hosted by Hefner.
Hefner starred on many TV shows, including Entourage and Sex And The City.
His next film: Leto will be seen in Blade Runner 2049 this weekend