45-year-old Jared Leto will star as legendary late Playboy founder Hugh Hefner in upcoming Brett Ratner-directed biographic film.
The Oscar winner (best supporting actor for his 2013 performance in Dallas Buyers Club) will don the iconic silk pajamas and smoking jacket for the project that is still in early stages of development with Ratner’s RatPac Entertainment. The movie was initially set up at Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment. When the rights expired, they were purchased by producer Jerry Weintraub (Ocean’s Eleven, Westworld) for Warner Bros, but after Weintraub’s death in 2015, Ratner snapped up the rights for his own company.
This casting announcement comes just one week after Hefner passing away at the age of 91. Ratner had hoped to introduce Leto to Hefner, inviting him to the mansion back in April for the premiere of Amazon’s American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story. However, that day Hefner’s health prevented him from greeting guests.
Leto is currently starring in Blade Runner 2049, in theaters now.
