In a classic case of life imitating art, the early 1990’s cartoon environmental superhero Captain Planet will be played by zealous environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio.
The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Paramount and DiCaprio’s Appian Way Productions will team to create the film adaptation of the 1990s cartoon series; Jono Matt and Scream Queens star Glen Powell have been named to write the script.
Appian Way signed a first-look deal with Paramount in March, as did Powell.
The film will be based on Captain Planet and the Planeteers, which ran on TV from September 1990 to December 1992. The series focused on five young people from given magical rings which enabled them to control nature. They have the capacity to summon Captain Planet, a superhero fighting foes of the environment.
Matt and Powell apparently want the film to take place years after the adventures of the show; Captain Planet will be “a washed-up has-been who needs the kids more than they need him.”
DiCaprio’s foundation describes itself thus:
The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is dedicated to the long-term health and wellbeing of all Earth’s inhabitants. Through collaborative partnerships, we support innovative projects that protect vulnerable wildlife from extinction, while restoring balance to threatened ecosystems and communities. LDF’s grantmaking program encompasses six focus areas: wildland conservation, climate change, indigenous rights, marine conservation, innovative solutions, and public advocacy.
DiCaprio is a long-standing environmental activist; he was slammed for using a private jet to repeatedly transport him around the world. Robert Rapier, an environmental analyst, said DiCaprio’s lifestyle “diminishes his moral authority to lecture others on reducing their own carbon emissions … He demonstrates exactly why our consumption of fossil fuels continues to grow … Everybody says, ‘I’ve got a good reason for consuming what I consume.’ It’s the exact same rationalization for billions of people.”