Leonardo DiCaprio's love of playing guys who die a lot finally leads him to Rasputin

After years of the movies attempting to kill him in myriad ways, Leonardo DiCaprio has developed a natural bond with Rasputin, signing on to play the Russian mystic in a new movie for Warner Bros. The script hails from American Sniper scribe Jason Hall, and reportedly paints a more complex picture of the “mad monk” beyond his influence on the Russian Imperial family, his manipulative powers, and the stories of his hedonistic sexual indulgences in the name of religion. Indeed, DiCaprio was supposedly drawn to “the complicated elements of a child who lost the better part of himself when his brother died, and was capable of kindness but also a ruthlessness,” which is definitely a way more actorly thing to say you’re into than growing a crazy beard and having orgies. And of course, the film will delve into Rasputin’s legendary assassination by being stabbed, shot, and strangled before finally drowning—something with which DiCaprio can surely empathize.