Leonardo DiCaprio, born on November 11, 1974, has recently turned 50, but for him, age is just a number. Having delivered incredible performances from a young age in films such as Marvin's Room, The Basketball Diaries, and What's Eating Gilbert Grape?, and breaking out globally with James Cameron’s Titanic as the doomed lover Jack, DiCaprio is now known as an Oscar winner (for The Revenant), philanthropist, a very choosy actor, and, errr... a serial dater. Leonardo DiCaprio Birthday: From ‘Titanic’ to ‘The Revenant’, A Look Back at His Career Milestones and Most Memorable Roles.
There are many interesting stories about DiCaprio’s rise to superstardom. But did you know that he once successfully blocked a movie starring himself from being released in the USA and Canada because he felt tricked into participating? Not just him, but even his best friend and fellow actor, known to the world as the original Spider-Man, Tobey Maguire, was involved in this incident.
Here’s the story of Don’s Plum, a notorious film that these two stars fought to keep from widespread release—and partially succeeded.
'Don’s Plum'
Don’s Plum is an indie drama shot in black and white that was released in 2001. Directed by RD Robb (known for his role as Schwartz in A Christmas Story), Don’s Plum was actually filmed in the mid-'90s, before DiCaprio became a global star thanks to Titanic (1997). However, due to the legal disputes surrounding its production, the movie was shelved for years and only saw release outside the USA and Canada. It remains an overlooked and largely forgotten entry in the filmographies of its stars.
Watch the Trailer of 'Don's Plum':
Set over the course of a single night, Don’s Plum follows a group of young men who meet at a diner and discuss life, love, sexuality, and masturbation. In addition to DiCaprio and Maguire, the movie features Amber Benson (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), Scott Bloom (Smokin’ Aces), Kevin Connolly (Entourage), Jeremy Sisto (Six Feet Under), and Ethan Suplee (American History X).
Why Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire Blocked 'Don’s Plum' Release
In a 1996 interview with Detour magazine, DiCaprio discussed how he agreed to participate in Don’s Plum as a short film project, only to find that the filmmakers intended to turn it into a feature-length movie without his consent. He said, “I had a friend who I did a short film with recently who slandered me. I was trying to do a favour for him. His name is RD Robb. It’s scandalous. It was originally a short film, and then he tried to make it into a feature. I worked one night on it. He tried to make it into a feature. And I heard all this stuff about how he was going to pit the press against me if I didn’t go along with him and do the feature. I just did it as a favour, you know? And then all this stuff happens and you ask why. Why be nice if that’s going to happen?” LEAKED! Leonardo DiCaprio Spotted Shooting For His Paul Thomas Anderson Film; Actor's Hippie Look Revealed!
DiCaprio and Maguire took legal action to block the film’s release for this reason. In 1998, one of Don’s Plum’s producers, David Stutman, filed a lawsuit against the actors, claiming they led a campaign to prevent the film's release. He alleged that Maguire was particularly opposed to the release because he was unhappy with certain improvised scenes that he felt would portray him unfavourably.
Leonardo DiCaprio's Court Deposition Against 'Don's Plum' Release in 1998
The parties eventually reached a settlement that allowed Don’s Plum to be released internationally but prohibited its distribution in the USA and Canada. However, another producer, Dale Wheatley, later uploaded the film for free streaming on a website then called FreeDonsPlum.com (now Dale Wheatley Writes). Maguire and DiCaprio once again took legal action to have it removed from the streaming site (Vimeo), citing copyright infringement. Nevertheless, the full movie can still be found on YouTube.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 11, 2024 03:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).