Kevin Costner Circling Bill Clinton Role In New TV Series With Leonardo DiCaprio Involved
Kevin Costner is reportedly in final talks to play Bill Clinton in United, with Leonardo DiCaprio joining him to executive-produce the series, which is said to have backing from the United Nations.
Kevin Costner and Leonardo DiCaprio are teaming up on a TV drama with actual UN backing. Yes, that UN. It is called 'United,' and the first season zeroes in on the UN’s 1999 mission in East Timor. Costner is circling Bill Clinton, DiCaprio is producing alongside him, and the whole thing is a lot more ambitious than your usual political thriller.
What is 'United' supposed to be?
According to Deadline, 'United' is being developed in collaboration with the United Nations and is built around real humanitarian operations. Season 1 focuses on East Timor in 1999, when the UN oversaw a vote to decide whether the territory would remain with Indonesia or go independent. That vote kicked off a crisis that pulled in world leaders and peacekeeping forces, and ultimately led to independence in 2002.
Who is on board
- Kevin Costner is in negotiations to play former U.S. President Bill Clinton. He and Leonardo DiCaprio are executive producing.
- Chukwudi Iwuji is being eyed to play former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
- David Raymond (Night Hunter) is writing and directing. He has been working with the UN’s Creative Community Outreach Initiative since the Ban Ki-moon era, developing stories that spotlight global cooperation and the people who take real risks to make it happen.
- Production companies: Appian Way, Onwards Studios, and Prime Focus DNEG.
- Shooting is expected to start in 2026 in Atlanta and Spain.
- Fifth Season will handle worldwide distribution.
Why East Timor, and why now?
Quick refresher: East Timor was a Portuguese colony until the mid-70s. Indonesia annexed it in 1975, and the next two decades were marked by repression and humanitarian crises. By the late 90s, political shifts created an opening for the UN to organize a referendum on independence. Despite intimidation from pro-Indonesia militias, the vote overwhelmingly favored independence.
That result unleashed brutal reprisals. Infrastructure was torched, and at least 1,400 people were killed. Indonesia could not get the violence under control, so the UN backed an Australian-led peacekeeping force called INTERFET, followed by a UN-led transition that shepherded East Timor toward full sovereignty in 2002.
So where does Clinton fit in?
The White House played a key diplomatic role as the crisis escalated. President Clinton worked the phones with international partners to help tamp down tensions and support the UN response. If Costner signs on, expect the show to trace the political pressure and behind-the-scenes maneuvering that helped unlock the peacekeeping intervention.
The unusual part
It is not common for a TV drama to be developed with the UN’s direct involvement, which makes this one stand out. The aim here is not just geopolitics as set dressing, but a series built around real missions, real stakes, and the people who handled them under intense pressure.