Mike Fleming

Leo DiCaprio is taken with Prisoners, an Aaron Guzikowski-scripted drama that Alcon Entertainment partners Andrew Kosove and Broderick Johnson bought last year. At the time, they signed Antoine Fuqua to direct. He has since dropped out. DiCaprio’s very particular about his directors — since 2002, he has made 4 films with Martin Scorsese and the only other directors he’s worked with have been Chris Nolan, Ridley Scott, Sam Mendes, and Ed Zwick. So Leo’s participation will depend on who’s helming.

Prisoners has a Mystic River-meets-Taken storyline, and DiCaprio wants to play a small-town carpenter who takes matters into his own hands when his daughter and her friend are kidnapped. “In the 12 years we’ve run this company, this is the most interesting, morally complex thriller we’ve ever gotten, and we can’t wait to make the movie,” Kosove told me. The script made the most recent Black List. And the Alcon duo, who with Gil Netter are up for Best Picture for The Blind Side, are producing with Kira Davis and Adam Kolbrenner. Warner Bros will distribute. I’m told Leo will likely make another movie before taking Prisoners.