Los Angeles, US (BBN)-Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company has acquired the film rights to a book proposal about Volkswagen’s clean diesel scandal.
Movie studio Paramount Pictures is also involved in bringing the story of the biggest crisis in the carmaker’s 78-year history to Hollywood, reports the Sky News.
Publishing rights for the as-yet-untitled book sold earlier this month for six figures to the Norton publishing house, New York literary agency Marly Rusoff said.
The book is expected to investigate how a “more, better, faster” ethos fuelled one of the greatest frauds in corporate history.
Europe’s largest car manufacturer has admitted rigging diesel emissions tests in the US, and Germany’s transport minister says it also manipulated them in Europe.
The scandal has wiped more than a third off VW’s share price, forced out its long-time chief executive and prompted investigations around the world.
DiCaprio, producer and star of The Wolf Of Wall Street through his Appian Way production company, is also one of Hollywood’s leading environmental campaigners.
His foundation regularly donates millions of dollars to causes such as protecting elephants and the Amazon rainforest.
No stars or directors are attached to the movie at this stage.
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