DiCaprio to Play Father of Video Gaming in ‘Atari’

Published by Jeff Leins on: June 8th, 2008

According to the trades, Leonardo DiCaprio will star in Atari for Paramount as Nolan Bushnell, the creator of the video game system.

Bushnell and Ted Dabney founded Atari Inc. in 1972 and were instrumental in bringing arcade games, home vidgame consoles and home computers to the masses. Among the company’s contributions was PONG and the Atari 2600.

Bushnell is also credited with founding the Chuck E. Cheese pizza franchise.

DiCaprio’s also a busy man. His production company, Appian Way, has been picking up some high-profile projects recently and each time DiCaprio’s name is dropped for a starring role. Add this as another his company will produce.

Other movies he’s been rumored to take part in are a live-action Akira, an Ian Fleming biopic, and a Teddy Roosevelt biopic (all at Appian), plus possibly starring in Ridley Scott’s new project.

He just recently finished filming Revolutionary Road, which re-teams him Kate Winslet, and is currently filming Shutter Island with Marty Scorsese.

This movie will give everyone a chance to claim they have or know someone who may or may not have a cousin who has an Atari somewhere.