After ''The Beach'' sunk at the box office in 2000, we thought Leonardo DiCaprio was lazing away the days with supermodel girlfriends and global-warming summits. Were we ever wrong. The 28-year-old has two movies roaring into theaters this month -- plus four other high-profile films for 2003 and beyond. Here's a look at what you can expect.
THE MOVIE Catch Me if You Can
WHEN Opens Dec. 25
THE STORY In the early '60s, real-life con man Frank W. Abagnale (DiCaprio) discovered the fine art of check forgery. While still a teenager, Abagnale posed as an airline pilot, a doctor, a professor, and a lawyer to ultimately pass millions of dollars worth of bad checks before the FBI caught up with him.
THE BUZZ Fairly strong. Directed by Steven Spielberg and costarring Tom Hanks, ''Catch'' is already generating rumblings about Oscar nominations for both Best Picture and Best Actor, and you can't beat the film's contagiously fun swinging '60s trailers.
IS IT A FIT? Like Leo, Abagnale made women swoon in every town he stopped in, often using their girlish crushes against them to get his checks passed. This role puts a rakish spin on Leo's post-''Titanic'' heartthrob status, lending charm to a character who might otherwise seem heartless.
THE MOVIE Gangs of New York
WHEN Opens Dec. 20
THE STORY Set in the mid-1800s, the movie follows the story of two rival gangs: the Dead Rabbits (made up of Irish immigrants) and the Native Americans (''native'' New Yorkers of Dutch and British heritage). DiCaprio plays the son of the murdered leader of the Dead Rabbits, who swears vengeance against the killer, the aptly named Bill ''The Butcher'' Poole (Daniel Day-Lewis). Cameron Diaz is a pickpocket who falls for Vallon despite her background with Poole, creating a juicy love triangle.
THE BUZZ Strong. The movie has made many critics' Top 10 lists, and Day-Lewis' performance has been generating Oscar heat. '''Gangs' is going to have a solid opening and last through the holiday and awards seasons,'' says boxofficeguru.com's Gitesh Pandya.
IS IT A FIT? Leo put on 30 pounds of muscle to play the street tough. ''Some people still think of him as the skinny kid from 'Growing Pains,' so this is one way to erase that image for good," says Robert Bucksbaum of ReelSource. Adds Pandya: ''This is a long historical epic with elements of romance and action, which is sort of like 'Titanic' without the ship.''
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