What Happened To Jared Leto Playing Hugh Hefner In His Biopic?

Publish date: 2024-06-15

Black silk pajamas, a red smoking jacket, and a crusing captain's hat—3 issues that irrevocably scream Hugh Hefner. At age 91, when Hefner passed on to the great beyond due to herbal reasons, lower than a month after his death, RatPac Entertainment announced a biopic on the Playboy bunny tycoon.It's now not sudden a film about Hefner would be made with the resurgence of biopics, such as Bohemian Rhapsody about Freddie Mercury, Rocketman about Elton John, Elvis about Elvis Presley, and maximum not too long ago, I Wanna Dance With Somebody about Whitney Houston.So, when director Brett Ratner introduced his plans for his media company, RatPac Entertainment, to produce a Hefner biopic directed through himself, this wasn't surprising information. And when Ratner announced Jared Leto because the actor to play Hefner, lovers of the actor and overdue tycoon had been excited and eagerly waiting for more details about the film.

Jared Leto As Hugh Hefner and The Film's Early Development

Ratner told The Hollywood Reporter , "Jared is an old friend. 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 Hefner biopic has been in early construction with RatPac Entertainment. Ratner has been set on being the manufacturer and director of the film since 2007. It was once to start with arrange with Universal Pictures and Imagine Entertainment, and Robert Downey Jr. used to be slated to play Hef.

Related: Jared Leto Got To 114-Pounds For Dallas Buyers Club In The Unhealthiest Way

However, the rights expired, and producer Jerry Weintraub (Ocean's Eleven, HBO's Westworld) bought the rights for Warner Bros. But when Weintraub kicked the bucket, Ratner quickly bought the rights for his personal corporate RatPac Entertainment and said, "My goal is to do the motion picture as an event."

For Hefner's 91st birthday, Ratner premiered Amazon's docuseries American Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story at the Playboy mansion and invited Jared Leto.

Ratner's goal used to be to introduce Leto and Hef, so the 2 may get to know one another. Also, so Leto could meet the man he was set to painting on the giant display screen. However, due to Hefner's declining health, he wasn't taking guests that day. But Ratner wasn't frightened, "There's enough footage on Hef out there that Jared will be able to get as much information as he wants," he says.

However, Hefner gave his blessing for a film about himself and his life earlier than his passing.

While speaking to Variety, the media rich person stated, "In recent years, there has been plenty of interest and much conversation about doing a feature film based on my life. I have always believed that when the timing was truly right, the perfect creative partners would come together for this project. I believe we've found those partners in Brett Ratner and RatPac Entertainment. I'm very much looking forward to this collaboration."

Related: This Is How Jared Leto Has Caused So Much Controversy In His Career

Is Jared Leto Still Playing Hugh Hefner?

After now not a lot news at the film, Leto told Deadline , through representatives, "Jared Leto is not and was not attached to a Brett Ratner-directed Hugh Hefner film, nor will he be working with him in the future. Earlier reports were incorrect and not confirmed by his representatives."

Furthermore, Ratner used to be accused through actress Natasha Henstridge and other ladies of harassment and misconduct. Henstirdige said, concerning Ratner, "I don't know how different I would be today—less hardened, less jaded, more trusting, all those things—if it never happened."

Related: Jared Leto Made $7 Million In Suicide Squad For 7 Minutes Of Screen-Time

When the story of Henstridge and the women broke, Playboy Enterprises, a media workforce founded via Hefner, launched a observation. "We are deeply troubled to learn about the accusations against Brett Ratner. We find this kind of behavior completely unacceptable. We are putting all further development of our projects with RatPac Entertainment on hold until we are able to review the situation further."

Is The Biopic Going On Without Jared Leto?

With Leto coming out and saying he used to be by no means hooked up to the mission, Playboy Enterprises made up our minds to halt the mission after Warner Bros. announced that it was acutely aware of the allegations and is "reviewing the situation."

After the news broke at the claims in opposition to Ratner, many had been glad to pay attention the movie used to be being placed on pause. Some fanatics of Leto's had been glad to know he would not be running with Ratner on a movie a couple of sex media multi-millionaire. In, what grew to become out to be a dismal flip of events, others found the irony of Ratner doing a movie about Hefner with those claims.

With the allegations, it sort of feels extraordinarily not likely that Ratner, any person accused of harassment in opposition to women, could be at the helm of a movie about Hefner. There continues to be no phrase on whether or not Playboy Enterprises will continue the venture with a special director.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGiuoZmkYrWivM%2BepZ6cXam8brbAq5ydZZyawbB5z6WYsqGenHqpwcahZKGdlqOys3nIp2ShoaNir6q7z6KaaA%3D%3D