Leonardo DiCaprio goes mercenary

The Titanic icon, who spent months campaigning for former US presidential candidate John Kerry, wants to mix the basic elements of a screen thriller with the cautionary theme of outsourcing war, according to Daily Variety.

The movie is to be written by Scott Burns, financed by Initial Entertainment Group and Beacon Pictures, which will produce the movie along with DiCaprio's production firm Appian Way.

The 29-year-old DiCaprio, a passionate environmentalist, stars in the cinematic life story of US billionaire Howard Hughes, The Aviator, which opens in North America this month.