DiCaprio Closing in on Tarantino’s Django? Will Smith Smith Out?

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Whether you love him or hate him, you have to admit that Quentin Tarantino knows how to put together a stellar cast, and the latest from Deadline shows that his talent is still razor-sharp.

Leonardo DiCaprio is getting ready to enter into talks for the role of villainous ranch owner Calvin Candie in Django Unchained. In Tarantino’s spin on the classic spaghetti western genre, Candie is the owner of Candyland, a club/plantation in Mississippi where female slaves are used for sex and male slaves are forced to take part in “mandingo” style death matches. One of those female slaves is Django’s wife, and he’s determined to free her from the ruthless Candie.

Before he can do what needs to be done, Django has to learn how to take care of things, and a German dentist-turned-bounty hunter is the guy that’s going to teach him the tricks of the trade. Christoph Waltz (Inglourious Basterds) is expected to take the role of the bounty hunter and Samuel L. Jackson is the top contender for the role of Stephen, Candie’s valet who keeps the slaves in line.

The one character that seems to be completely up in the air at the moment is Django. Will Smith has been in negotiations for the part, but now his participation looks doubtful. Other names being tossed around for the lead role include Idris Elba, Jamie Foxx and Chris Tucker.

Personally, I can see Elba or Foxx in the part, but I’m having a hard time picturing Tucker as a kick-ass type of character.