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DiCaprio, who worked with Netflix on the Oscar-nominated
documentary "Virunga" about the Democratic Republic of Congo's
rare mountain gorillas, will act as a producer or executive
producer for the projects that will focus on the environment and
conservation.
"This partnership is a natural extension of our incredible
relationship with Leo on 'Virunga,'" Ted Sarandos, Netflix's
chief content officer, said in a statement.
The deal with DiCaprio, 40, pushes Netflix, which produces the
Emmy-winning political thriller "House of Cards" and the
comedy-drama "Orange Is the New Black," further into original
programing in an effort to gain a larger audience.
DiCaprio, a best actor Oscar nominee for "The Wolf of Wall
Street," joins several stars who have entered deals with Netflix.
In October the company announced that comedian and actor Adam
Sandler will star in and produce four films that will be shown
exclusively on the service, which has more than 57 million
members in 50 countries.
The company also completed a two-season order for "Unbreakable
Kimmy Schmidt," a comedy by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock that is
due to premiere on Netflix this month.
Brothers Mark and Jay Duplass, best known for "Jeff, Who Lives
at Home," have also inked an agreement to make four films
exclusively for the service. But they also have an option to
show them in movie theaters first.
(Reporting by Patricia Reaney; Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and
Lisa Shumaker)
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