Apparently Robert Downey Jr. is in talks to play Hugh Hefner in a film about the life of the man behind Playboy and all things bunny girl, and boy, related.

Although at first it might seem like getting a sledge hammer to crack a nut - i.e. Downey Jr. is such a strong actor compared to what is required for the role, but he's taking a lighter view of his career, and this could turn out to be a strong look at the Hefner character.

Well I say it could be a strong look into Hugh Hefner the man and his empire, but then again Brett Ratner is set to direct with Brian Grazer producing, does that spell serious stuff? I'm not so sure.

However previously on Filmstalker, when we heard about Ratner's involvement, Grazer said some interesting things about the film that made me think it could well be an interesting look behind the shiny cover of the Playboy man.

"Hef came from a puritanical upbringing and reinvented himself to be the godfather of the sexual revolution...He also used his magazine to advocate civil rights and free speech, and put James Brown on his show 'Playboy After Dark' when they didn't put black performers on national television. He broke all kinds of taboos, especially in sexuality. I want to show it all, from the First Amendment struggles to his first orgy to the stroke in the 1980s that almost killed him."

As I said before, it does sound a bit like The People vs. Larry Flynt already, but then that's not a bad thing and it would allow Downey to get his teeth into a strong character role, something we haven't really seen much of in his latest comeback.

The story is that he's in negotiations for the role and it comes from Digital Spy and adds to the list of names associated with the lead, including Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Cruise. Which would you prefer in the role?