Paramount, DiCaprio Acquire Film Rights To Book On VW Scandal

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- The Volkswagen AG scandal over diesel emission tests is headed for Hollywood. U.S. movie studio Paramount Pictures and actor Leonardo DiCaprio's production company have acquired movie rights to a book proposal by New York Times journalist Jack Ewing about the clean diesel scandal, the biggest crisis in Volkswagen's 78-year history, Paramount and New York literary agency Marly Rusoff and Associates said on Monday.

Publishing rights for the as-yet-untitled book sold earlier this month for six figures to the Norton publishing house, Marly Rusoff said. The book is expected to investigate how a "more, better, faster" ethos fueled one of the greatest frauds in corporate history.

Europe's largest automaker has admitted rigging diesel emissions tests in the United States, and Germany's transport minister says it also manipulated them in Europe.

The scandal has wiped more than a third off the German company's share price, forced out its long-time CEO and prompted investigations around the world.

DiCaprio, producer and star of "The Wolf of Wall Street" through his Appian Way production company, is also one of Hollywood's leading environmental campaigners.

No stars or directors are attached to the movie at this stage.

(Reporting By Jill Serjeant; Editing by David Gregorio)