Eastwood, DiCaprio begin filming "J. Edgar"

CEBU, Philippines -  Principal photography has begun on “J. Edgar,” starring Academy Award nominee Leonardo DiCaprio (“Inception,” “The Departed,” “Blood Diamond”) under the direction of Oscar winner Clint Eastwood (“Gran Torino,” “Million Dollar Baby,” “Unforgiven”).

A drama that explores the public and private life of one of the most powerful, controversial and enigmatic figures of the 20thcentury, “J. Edgar” was written by Oscar-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (“Milk”).

As the face of law enforcement in America for almost fifty years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life.

“J. Edgar” also stars Academy Award nominee Naomi Watts (“21 Grams) as Helen Gandy, Hoover’s longtime secretary; Oscar winner Judi Dench (“Shakespeare in Love”) as Hoover’s over-protective mother, Anne Marie Hoover; Armie Hammer (“The Social Network”) as Hoover’s protégé Clyde Tolson, who was rumored to have more than a professional relationship with the FBI director; and Josh Lucas (“Life as

We Know It”) as the legendary aviator Charles Lindbergh, whose son’s kidnapping changes the public profile of the F.B.I. The main cast also includes Damon Herriman (TV’s “Justified”) and Ken Howard (“Grey Gardens”).

“J. Edgar” is being produced by Eastwood, Oscar winner Brian Grazer (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Frost/Nixon”) and Oscar nominee Robert Lorenz (“Letters from Iwo Jima,” “Mystic River”), with Tim Moore and Erica Huggins serving as executive producers.

Behind the scenes, Eastwood reunites with his longtime collaborators, including director of photography Tom Stern, production designer James J. Murakami, editors Joel Coxand Gary D. Roach, and costume designer Deborah Hopper. Shooting on “J. Edgar” is taking place in and around Los Angeles and on location in Washington DC.

A Warner Bros. Pictures presentation, the film is being produced under the banners of Malpaso and Imagine Entertainment. It will be distributed worldwide by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company.