Leto to star in Hugh Hefner biopic

Jared Leto will soon be donning the iconic silk pajamas and smoking jacket of Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, who died September 27 at age 91, for an upcoming biopic from Brett Ratner.

“Jared is an old friend,” says Ratner, who will direct the film. “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 project is in early development with Ratner's RatPac Entertainment. The director-producer has been set on helming the movie since 2007. Robert Downey Jr. had once been attached to play Hef.

In April, Ratner invited Leto to the Playboy Mansion for the premiere of Amazon's docuseries “American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story”, which doubled as a celebration of Hefner turning 91. Ratner had hoped to introduce Leto to the man he'd be playing on the big screen, but Hefner was in failing health and not greeting guests that day.

Leto's latest big screen venture is “Blade Runner 2049”, set to release this weekend.

Source: THR