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There are few television shows as important as ‘The Twilight Zone.’ Correction, there are few shows as good as ‘The Twilight Zone,’ Rod Serling’s immortal science fiction, horror and fantasy anthology series that ran from 1959 to 1964 and helped define how great genre fiction could be on the small screen (and in general).

Now, after a movie in 1983 (‘Twilight Zone: The Movie’) and two series revivals in 1985 and 2002, Deadline reports that ‘The Twilight Zone’ is ready to head to the big screen again, courtesy of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way production company and their newly hired screenwriter, Jason Rothenberg, whose last script was an adaptation of the science fiction novel, ‘The Sparrow,’ which is still in pre-production.

It’s too early to know exactly what the folks at Appian Way and their scribe will be shooting for; whether it will be a feature-length adaptation of a classic episode, a new story in the spirit of the series or an anthology film with different directors tackling different segments, like the previous ‘Twilight Zone’ film. The best option is obviously anthology route, which won’t threaten to extend the 30-minute stories beyond their limit and will hopefully allow a lot of cool, talented filmmakers and actors to get involved.

Now, let’s play the fanboy game and decide which ‘Twilight Zone’ episodes would be the best choices for a film adaptation.

There are hundreds to choose and to think about. One of Rod Serling’s ironic, humanist stories? One of Charles Beaumont’s gothic horror tales? One of Richard Matheson’s gutsy, pulpy sci-fi adventures? The fact that all of these stories and storytellers live under one banner is the reason that ‘The Twilight Zone’ was such a great show, as well as why it would make a great movie.

Here are some good options (avoiding the stories used in the first film):

‘The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street‘
Although written by Serling as a metaphor for communist witch hunting and Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee, this classic episode about a small town tearing itself apart when they believe they’re being invaded by aliens remains a masterpiece, a look at man’s inhumanity to man that feels just as relevant today as it did 50 years ago.

‘Time Enough at Last‘
The story of a man with a nagging wife and a lousy job who only wants to find time to embrace his one true love: reading books. When he finds himself a solitary survivor in a world decimated by nuclear war, he happily realizes he’s finally gotten what he wanted. Although it can easily be boiled down to its ironic conclusion, a clever script could turn this story into a wonderful, pitch dark sci-fi comedy.

‘The Invaders‘
A nearly dialogue-free story about a woman menaced in her home by tiny extraterrestrials, this is an intense, suspenseful story that works so beautifully as a low-budget episode of a 1960s TV series that I can’t help but wonder what a modern filmmaker with the proper sensibilities could do with it.

‘The Odyssey of Flight 33‘
Although it may need to be re-tooled to effectively work as part of a modern movie, the tale of the ill-fated Flight 33 and its encounter with a time vortex remains completely chilling and potentially, with modern special effects, completely epic.

‘The Obsolete Man‘
Another Serling script that feels completely contemporary, ‘The Obsolete Man’ takes place in a dystopia where a man is arrested and declared “obsolete” (i.e., scheduled for immediate execution) for his crimes of being a librarian and believing in God. The bulk of the episode dealt with an extended conversation between the man and a high-ranking official and any remake would be wise to do the same. This is idea-driven science fiction at its best.

‘Nothing in the Dark‘
Famous for featuring an early performance by Robert Redford, this episode followed an elderly woman who’s barricaded herself in her home to keep “Mr. Death” from entering and taking her to the afterlife. It’s a perfect blend of horror and sentimentality that only ‘The Twilight Zone’ could pull off.

‘Five Characters in Search of an Exit‘
Not a famous (or particularly good) episode by any stretch of the imagination, but the amusing set-up and bizarre conclusion make for a memorable premise. A clown, a hobo, a ballerina, a bagpiper and a soldier find themselves trapped in in large, metal room. The revelation of what they’re doing in this space acts as the climax of the episode, but it could just as easily act as the mid-point of a more thoughtful, adventurous take on the concept.

‘Number Twelve Looks Just Like You‘
Yet another timeless science fiction story that takes place in a society where everyone is beautiful and everyone looks completely identical … because everyone is required to undergo a medical procedure at age 19 that will give them the same body as everyone else. Naturally, our protagonist resists and the result is a dark, strange look at human identity.

But that’s just the tip of the iceberg! What episodes would you pick? Which ones would you avoid? Sound off in the comments below

EXCLUSIVE: Leonardo DiCaprio is going to play one of the most prolific serial killers in Chicago history, the 19th Century equivalent of Hannibal Lecter. DiCaprio and his Appian Way partner Jennifer Killoran and Double Features partners Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher have joined forces to acquire screen rights to The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic And Madness At The Fair That Changed America, the 2003 non-fiction book by Erik Larson. DiCaprio will play Dr. HH Holmes, a cunning serial killer believed to have murdered anywhere from 27 to 200 people at a time when the city of Chicago was enthralled with hosting the World’s Fair of 1893. Holmes constructed The World’s Fair Hotel, an inn more lethal than the Bates Motel, especially for young single women. The sociopath used charm and guile to lure guests into what became known as a “murder castle,” a haunt that had a gas chamber, crematorium and a dissecting table where Holmes would murder his victims and strip their skeletons to sell for medical and scientific study.

In a statement, Killoran called the book “truly a one-of-its-kind American story about our nation’s first serial killer. We’re exited to bring it to the big screen.” Said Shamberg and Sher: “This is a big, entertaining thriller in an incredible setting that will appeal to worldwide audience.”

DiCaprio hasn’t played a role like this, but has long been … Read More »

When fans of Baz Luhrmann heard that he was up for directing a new-millennium film version of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic “The Great Gatsby,” let’s just say there was an excited shout of joy, collectively. And then when it was rumored that “Romeo + Juliet” star Leonardo DiCaprio might be up for Gatsby, well let’s just say wowza! So, when MTV News caught up with Baz at “The Social Network” premiere we tried to get some updates on the project.

“The rumors are out! I’ve got two going. One is a musical and one is a period work, both based in New York City, and I’m about to make that decision. I’ve got the script for both of them and I’m making that decision in four to six weeks, no longer than six weeks,” he teased, adding that “Gatsby” had no plans to add some singing. “Singing ‘Gatsby’? No! ‘Gatsby,’ it is the Fitzgerald book and I’ve been working on that quite a lot. The other one is also New York based and music-driven and it’s just a question of … what is the next right step for me.”

Getting more info out of Luhrmann was a bit difficult after that. He wouldn’t say much about the musical project. And, he also wouldn’t weigh in on those Leo/Gatsby rumors. “You know I think of casting all the time, but I put that to the side and I complete the text,” he said. “Obviously there are natural choices and there is a natural top of the list, but I really refuse to say anything until we have text right.”

Tags baz luhrmann, leonardo dicaprio, the great gatsby, The Social Network

Leonardo DiCaprio stands to make at least $50 million from his latest hit Inception. And that’s only from the film’s box office earnings. With the extra revenue slated to come from DVD and television sales, he could end up earning much more.

Exhibitor Relations predicts that Inception will earn $750 million by the time it’s completed its box office run. In less than a month the film has already earned $480 million. That’s an impressive take this summer for a movie that’s not a cartoon, a sequel or a remake. (See “Summer 2010′s Biggest Box Office Winners”)

The film was a risky bet for Time Warner ( TWX – news – people ) studio Warner Bros. and for DiCaprio, who ranks 71st on our annual Celebrity 100. Director Christopher Nolan is the man behind The Dark Knight, which is the sixth highest grossing film of all time (not adjusting for inflation) with $1 billion at the box office. But Nolan’s non-Batman films haven’t performed quite as well. The Prestige, which featured Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman as dueling magicians, earned only $110 million in 2006.

Inception was an original idea, with even more twists and turns with its dream within a dream within a dream plot. Audiences could have easily rejected the $160 million film.

Because the movie was so risky, DiCaprio agreed to take a pay cut to star in it, earning well under his normal $20 million. In return he and Nolan agreed to split a pot of now-rare first dollar gross points. That means he gets money coming directly off the top of ticket sales (once he has earned back his advance). Most deals these days are structured so that stars don’t start earning until the studio has earned back its production and advertising spend.

That risk paid off for DiCaprio, who will see his biggest payday yet. It also cements DiCaprio as a bona fide movie star who can open a film and take it to a big payday.

DiCaprio has always earned big, but his adult-centric films haven’t always performed. Body of Lies earned just $115 million at the global box office and 2006′s Blood Diamond earned $170 million. Those aren’t flop numbers, but they aren’t the kind of returns studios want to see when they’re paying top dollar for a big star like DiCaprio.

But 2010 has been the year DiCaprio proved he’s worth every penny. Earlier this year DiCaprio’s Shutter Island became director Martin Scorsese’s highest-grossing film of all time with $300 million in global box office earnings. Now with Inception, the actor’s movies this year alone have earned $780 million to date.

For his next act, DiCaprio is scheduled to play the infamous FBI director J. Edgar Hoover in a Clint Eastwood-directed biopic.