Leonardo DiCaprio is set to play Viking conqueror Harald Hardrada in a new film pitched by writer Mark L Smith.
The 11th century Harald is hailed by some historians as the last great Viking king. He ruled Norway for 20 years, but his ruthless quest for power led him to exile in Russia before a triumphal return.
He eventually died at the hands of England's King Harold at the battle of Stamford Bridge.
Warner Bros has pre-emptively acquired the project, Deadline.com reports. This would also allow DiCaprio to produce alongside his Appian Way partner Jennifer Davisson Killoran.
The Braveheart-style movie is speculatively entitled King Harald.
DiCaprio, who is a bit of a history buff, is fascinated by the Vikings and previously wanted to star in a film about Viking warriors that Mel Gibson was going to direct.
The 2009 film was expected to be a violent and "awe-inspiring story", but never made it to the big screen.
Although DiCaprio has recently been playing a wide range of serious roles, he recently admitted that his part in Titanic is responsible for his success today.
He said: "It gave me an opportunity, from that point on, to choose the roles I wanted to do."
