Entertainment

Leo's Next Movie Is Basically 'Revenant' 2.0

by Loretta Donelan

Although many people now expect Leonardo DiCaprio to win the Oscar for his work in The Revenant, the actor seems to be more concerned with not focusing on the upcoming awards — but possibly prepping for next year's ceremony, instead. The actor has plenty of future Oscar bait in the works, including the recently announced Conquest, which stars DiCaprio and re-teams him with Revenant co-writer Mark L. Smith, according to Variety. The movie could be his next shot at an Oscar, even if this year's ceremony doesn't go as planned.

Especially because of its Revenant connections. This decision to try to reproduce Alejandro Iñárritu's latest film makes sense; whether or not it pulls in a lot of Oscars, the success of The Revenant is undeniable. It's been a surprise box office hit, it won big at the Golden Globes, and it secured an impressive twelve Oscar nominations. No wonder DiCaprio and Smith want to do it all over again with Conquest.

And if all goes well, the new movie could mean an Oscar for DiCaprio. The actor has been nominated for multiple acting Oscars in the past but never won, and it's now a running joke that he'll do anything to get one. While it seems very likely that this will be the year his dream comes true, it also looks like he'll have plenty of chances coming up, what with his upcoming turn as a serial killer in The Devil in the White City or as the lawyer in the true story The Ballad Of Richard Jewel . And then there's Conquest, which, as the spiritual sequel to The Revenant, should at least land DiCaprio a nomination. Here's why it looks like Conquest could be like The Revenant 2.0.

DiCaprio's The Star

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The most obvious similarity between the upcoming Conquest and The Revenant is DiCaprio's presence. I imagine that like most of the characters Leo plays, the lead of Conquest will be tough and masculine, and a little morally suspect.

Mark L. Smith's Involved

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Like The Revenant, Conquest will be written by Mark L. Smith. This means that you can reasonably expect grittiness, impending horror, and darkness. Perhaps Conquest will have a more traditional, less period vibe of horror, which has usually been Smith's niche. His previously written films, which include Vacancy, have involved supernatural experiences in the present day, as opposed to the 19th-century setting of The Revenant.

The Names Are Both Creepy

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I just get a similar vibe from Conquest and The Revenant; both are vaguely sinister, simple, and foreboding, like any good horror title.

Who knows? It's possible that Smith and DiCaprio will be trying to distance themselves from their previous success with something really different. Plot details for Conquest have not been released yet, so it's all speculation at this point. However, I think you can be certain that DiCaprio will likely be great in it, even if he doesn't get the recognition he deserves.