The Aviator

It is based on the 1993 non-fiction book Howard Hughes: The Secret Life by Charles Higham. In the mid 1990s and early 2000s, director Miloš Forman was in talks to direct a film about the early life Hughes with Edward Norton as the eccentric young billionaire. Also, in the early 2000s, director Christopher Nolan was developing a film about Hughes based on the book Hughes: The Private Diaries, Memos and Letters by Richard Hack. The film was shelved when Scorsese was on board to direct The Aviator. Nolan returned to his Howard Hughes project after completing The Dark Knight Rises. This time, Nolan used the book Citizen Hughes: The Power, the Money and the Madness by Michael Drosnin as the source of his film. Nolan wrote the script and the script follows the darker and final years of Hughes's life. Nolan, once again, shelved the project when Warren Beatty was developing his long-awaited Hughes film. It was reported that Nolan's Hughes film was to star Jim Carrey as the reclusive, elderly billionaire. Numerous aircraft were depicted and/or actually used in the film, and were organic to the story. These included aircraft that Hughes had built, airliners that his airline (TWA) used, and other aircraft. At the 77th Academy Awards, it was nominated for eleven awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actor for DiCaprio, and Best Supporting Actor for Alda, winning five: Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Costume Design, Best Art Direction, and Best Supporting Actress for Blanchett. At the 58th British Academy Film Awards, it was nominated for fourteen awards, winning four: Best Film, Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Blanchett, Best Production Design and Best Makeup and Hair. At the 62nd Golden Globe Awards, it was nominated for six awards, winning three: Best Motion Picture — Drama, Best Actor — Motion Picture Drama for DiCaprio and Best Original Score for Howard Shore. In addition, DiCaprio was nominated for Outstanding Male Actor in a Leading Role and Blanchett won Outstanding Female Actor in a Supporting Role at the 11th Screen Actors Guild Awards.