The phrase “drinking the Kool-Aid” gets tossed around all of the time for anyone who is on another’s bandwagon, but it’s actually quite a dark term. It refers to cult leader Jim Jones, who as the leader of The People’s Temple commanded his followers to drink poisoned Flavor-Aid in November 1978, after his security forces assassinated a U.S. Congressman and his entourage. Jones is an infamous figure, and Leonardo DiCaprio will play him in the upcoming movie Jim Jones.
Deadline reports MGM has secured a 7-figure deal for Jim Jones, with DiCaprio in talks to star and produce. He’ll play Jones, monstrous leader of the People’s Temple cult and instigator of the deaths of over 900 members. Scott Rosenberg, a writer on the recent Jumanji films and an exec-producer on Cowboy Bebop, will pen the screenplay.
Next up for DiCaprio is Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up opposite Jennifer Lawrence, a film many are anxious to see for its potential as an Oscar contender.
