Leonardo DiCaprio to portray Miki Dora?

Movies - Variety Leo catches 'Waves' 05/12/2004

Tue May 11, 8:00 PM ET

Online Staff, STAFF

Leonardo DiCaprio (news)'s Appian Way banner has optioned feature rights to 'All for a Few Perfect Waves,' David Rensin's upcoming bio of surfer Miki Dora, with DiCaprio eyeing the central role.

'High Fidelity' scribe D.V. DeVincentis will adapt the oral biography. Appian optioned the book from a proposal that Rensin, author of 'The Mailroom,' sent to publishers earlier this month. Book will be published by William Morrow in 2006.

Project falls under Appian's first-look deal with Initial Entertainment. DiCaprio and Appian prexy Brad Simpson will produce, with Rensin as co-producer and Barry Rosen as exec producer.

Dora, who was credited with sparking Malibu's surfing subculture during the 1950s and '60s, was also a seductive prankster who had a fickle relationship with his public persona. Frustrated with the exploitation of the surfing lifestyle, he dropped out at the end of the 1960s. In the early 1980s, he was arrested for check fraud and spent time in French and American jails.

Simpson described Dora as 'part Marlon Brando (news) in 'The Wild Ones,' part Sid Vicious and part Cary Grant (news), all in board shorts. He would crash Hollywood parties, charm all the guests and leave with the most extraordinary girl on his arm and a collection of filched credit cards in his pocket.'

Filmmakers such as Art Linson and John Milius previously have tried to bring Dora's story to the screen. However, the surfer made a habit of teasing producers, announcing that he was ready to see a film made of his life and entertaining offers, only to later pull away. Dora died of cancer in January 2002.

Rosen brought the project to Appian, which worked with the Firm to persuade Rensin's William Morris agents to show them his proposal before it went to publishers. Appian optioned the proposal through its deal with Initial and immediately approached DeVincentis, an accomplished surfer, to handle the adaptation.

'When weaving nets, all threads count.' - Charlie Chan

at says...

I think I would have picked Johnny Depp or maybe Ray Liotta.

or Don Cheadle...........(Miki was always very tan)

-Foon (or Woody Harrelson, just for that gaptooth thing)

Omg, such a gullible ng. Forget Depp, Cheadie, diCaprio, they're waiting to see scripts for Dewey Weber Story, David Nuuhiwa Story, Dale Velzy Story, remake of Gidget, Wingnut Story, Endless Summer XII, Mark Foo Story, beacause Surf Movies are big in Peoria, De Moines, and Butte Montana, you jusy can't get enough of them. Sorry, gang, your bubbles about to burst. No future in surfing these days, but keep on dreaming.

POP GOES WEASEL

>Saw reference to this, a few days ago. It appears that

I wanna play Porkchop .

Jack Black.

AFAIK there are currently two Dora books in train: David Resin's biography and Tom Adler's 8 x 10 book of photos, 'frame grabs,' and interviews with text by Craig Stecyk. I understand that Adler's book is due out for Christmas and that Resin's book is not yet finished.

So, rumours aside, it looks like there could very well be a Hollyweird film about Dora's life sometime in the future. The question is, what actor *would* have the ability to convincingly portray Miki Dora?

'When weaving nets, all threads count.' - Charlie Chan

Timothy B. Maddux says...

Usually the first words I utter entering a bar.

Though I found some oily smooth vodka in a basement Russian bar called Pravda in NYC last weekend. The Bolshevik babe waitress convinced me to try a brand I couldn't spell or prounounce. But it went down smooth and mingled well with the fish eggs on a cracker. Took me an hour to find the car and it was parked right next to the WTC hole in the ground. Da 'city' in May- priceless.

-Belle Luga

Ya I thought it was funny how everyone had an opinion about whether or not dora was a criminal based on what they watched on TV..

The brainwashed are the last to know that they are brainwashed.

Leo ain't gonna be representing nothing i'm telling you ... that Western Union Messenger will be roostah_saking Miki (aka Mouse) Dora's tails ... you dig me cavron?

One of the greatest surf bands performing today is The Eliminators. I hope the producers are aware of them and consider some of their music which would be perfect for this, especially their original song Dawn Patrol. http://www.myspace.com/theeliminatorssurfband

Dan, you are right They remind me of the sounds of long ago !! Extremely nice

There will be no Dora project. It is dead. Studio polling decided the guy is a criminal and there is no market for such a movie. The producer is a coward and hated in Hollywood. Case clooosed!