Martin Scorsese’s intended Frank Sinatra biopic has been on the burner for some time now, but it’s still uncertain who will inhabit the role of Old Blue Eyes. Earlier this year, the director told shortlist.com that the part might even go to more than one actor. “We can't go through the greatest hits of Sinatra's life. We tried this already. Just can't do it. So the other way to go is to have three or four different Sinatras. Younger. Older. Middle-aged. Very old. You cut back and forth in time – and you do it through the music. See what I'm saying? So that's what we're trying for. It's very tricky.” Tricky indeed, to say nothing of that fact that audiences are much more used to watching, say, Marion Cotillard show off her acting chops playing Edith Piaf over a decades-long stretch than they are watching a bevy of actors play musical chairs with a role. I’m not sure if this is daring, foolish, or both, but I like that Scorsese’s game for it, and he recently admitted that he has at least one actor already in mind.

Although it was reported a while back that he wanted regular collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio for the part, Scorsese has now told Indian daily The Hindu, “My choice is Al Pacino, and Robert De Niro as Dean Martin.” Whether you can picture these gents in the roles (neither looks the part to me), it’s presumable they’d be playing older versions of Sinatra, so perhaps DiCaprio’s still in the running for Frank’s younger self . But what about Johnny Depp, who Deadline Hollywood reported a year ago was Universal’s first choice? I say throw him in there too. If Bob Dylan needed five actors to compass his multi-faceted persona in Todd Haynes’ I’m Not There, I’m thinking Sinatra could go for six easy.