Jamie Foxx confirmed for lead in Quentin Tarantino's 'Django Unchained'

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Jamie Foxx has been confirmed to play the lead in Quentin Tarantino's forthcoming western Django Unchained.

The actor and singer held final talks last week, and has now been announced to star as Django in film, having apparently beaten off competition from Idris Elba and Will Smith to emerge as director Tarantino's first choice.

Asked what he was most looking forward to about the project, Foxx told CNN: "I think, just to be able to work with Quentin Tarantino and Samuel L Jackson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and to be able to tell a story that needs to be told."

"If you’re a fan of Inglourious Basterds, I mean, you know... it's just amazing. It should be amazing."

DiCaprio has been reported to play a plantation boss who holds Django's wife captive. Django Unchained is pencilled in for a release on Christmas Day 2012.

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