Joseph Gordon-Levitt Will Play Infamous Cult Leader Jim Jones In New Film

Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Chloe Grace Moretz are about to have the weirdest "500 Days of Summer" reunion imaginable. Per Deadline, the duo is set to star as cult leader Jim Jones and Jonestown survivor Deborah Layton in "White Night," an upcoming psychological thriller about Jones' infamous People's Temple cult.

The film, to be penned by "Queen of Katwe" and "Ghost in the Shell" screenwriter William Wheeler, is based on Layton's memoir "Seductive Poison." The story follows her haunting true story "as she rises through the ranks at Peoples Temple, only to turn on Jones and fight to expose the truth about him to the world before it's too late." Anne Sewitsky ("Homesick," "A Very British Scandal" will direct the adaptation of Layton's memoir. Producing the film with FilmNation are Archer Gray's Amy Nauiokas and Anne Carey. Nauiokas said:

"Debbie's incredible journey with the People's Temple deserves an audience across generations. It should serve as warning about the power a certain type of charismatic leader can have and the very real lessons to be learned from our history. When we first read Bill Wheeler's adaptation, it was seeing this infamous story from Deborah's point of view that unlocked it psychologically and dramatically. Entering Jim Jones' magnetic orbit through the eyes of an idealistic, passionate young woman reminded us that anyone can fall victim to extremism, given the right circumstances."

Joseph Gordon-Levitt will star as the cult leader and Christian Socialist preacher whose influence culminated in one of the largest murder suicides in American history. Under Jones' leadership, over 900 members of the remote jungle commune were killed on November 18, 1978, either by drinking cyanide-laced Flavor-Aid, being forcibly given the poison, or were gunned down by Jones' followers.

Now I know what you're thinking — isn't Joseph Gordon Levitt already playing a cult leader this year? A very understandable mistake ... and not entirely inaccurate: Gordon-Levitt is actually playing Uber founder Travis Kalanick in the upcoming Apple series "Super Pumped." Based on the "Wolf of Wall Street" vibes he was giving off in the trailer, the role of the charismatic CEO will be excellent practice for his turn as Jim Jones.

And speaking of Jordan Belfort, Gordon-Levitt might have some competition when it comes to most monstrous reenactment of a cult leader. His former "Inception" co-star and good ol' pal Leonardo DiCaprio is also in talks to star as Jim Jones, in a separate film for MGM. The studio secured a seven-figure deal for the film late last year, with DiCaprio set to produce. "High Fidelity" and "Venom" scribe Scott Rosenberg set to pen the script. 

As of now, there's no word yet on when DiCaprio's "Jim Jones" will begin production, but "White Night" is set to film in spring 2022.