ANTONIO BANDERAS - ANTONIO BANDERAS IN TALKS TO PLAY SALVADOR DALI

ANTONIO BANDERAS IN TALKS TO PLAY SALVADOR DALI

Antonio Banderas could become the third actor to play one of the most innovative artists of the 20th century on screen next year.

The Desperado star is negotiations to play Salvador Dali in an independent biopic of the artist, the third currently in development.

Al Pacino is signed up to play the artist in Dali & I: The Surreal Story, from Andrew Niccol, while young actor Robert Pattinson, star of the upcoming fantasy film Twilight, is to play the Spaniard in Little Ashes, a tale of his youthful love affairs.

And according to Variety, Banderas is in negotiations to play the surrealist in Simon West's Dali, which will couple music with CGI sequences to portray the painter's mercurial talents.

Set to begin shooting in Spain and England next year, West's film will tell of Dali's conquering America and the world with "sex, sin and surrealism".

The director added that he plans to focus not only on Dali's outrageous lifestyle but his lifelong love affair with Gala, his wife, muse and manipulative manager.