The director is on board for the film adaptation of Don Winslow's novel The Cartel, a fictionalised version of El Chapo's escapades, including his first prison escape in 2001, when he broke out of a Mexican prison by hiding in a laundry cart.

Scott reportedly wants DiCaprio to play the role of DEA agent Art Keller, who finds himself crossing paths with his friend-turned-drug lord Adan Berrera.

Interest in the project has received a big boost following Guzman's latest escape from a high-security prison in Altiplano, Mexico on 11 July (15), 17 months after he was finally caught after over a decade on the run.

Ironically, he used an underground tunnel, similar to those he used to move drugs under the U.S./Mexico border, to make his daring escape.