An upcoming biopic announcement has stirred a whitewashing storm as Oscar-winning screenwriter David Franzoni said he would like to cast Leonardo DiCaprio as 13th-century Persian poet Jalal al-Din Rumi.

The award-winning screenwriter told the Guardian that he will work on a Hollywood biopic which will "challenge the stereotypical portrayal of Muslim characters in western cinema by charting the life of the great Sufi scholar".

"Rumi is hugely popular in the United States. I think it [making this film] gives him a face and a story,” Franzoni said.

What has immediately drawn criticism is that the face Franzoni would like to give him is that of white actor Leonardo DiCaprio.