Leonardo DiCaprio to play WW2 codebreaker Alan Turing in biopic?

Published Oct 13 2011, 10:32 BST  |  By Zakia Uddin

Leonardo DiCaprio is in line to play codebreaker and scientist Alan Turing in a biopic of the man's life.

Turing was one of the key figures involved in solving the Enigma Code which led to the Allies' defeat of the Nazis in World War II.

He killed himself by eating a cyanide-laced apple after facing prosecution for his homosexuality and being chemically castrated.

Ron Howard could be in the running to direct the biopic which has been described as "The King's Speech without the huge uplifting ending", Deadline reports.

Graham Moore's screenplay The Imitation Game is based on the definitive biography of the mathematician titled Alan Turing: The Enigma. The project is to be produced by Nora Grossman and Ido Ostrowsky who worked with the screenwriter and first-time novelist on the script.

DiCaprio is currently shooting The Great Gatsby, which co-stars Carey Mulligan and Isla Fisher. He will next be seen in the Clint Eastwood-directed biopic J. Edgar with Judi Dench.

Watch the trailer for J. Edgar below: