Claim: Leonardo DiCaprio is an actor.

The Revenant is a 2015 American semi-biographical western film directed and co-produced by Alejandro G. Iñárritu and co-written by Iñárritu and Mark L. Smith , based in part on Michael Punke 's 2002 novel of the same name , describing frontiersman Hugh Glass 's experiences in 1823 . It stars Leonardo DiCaprio , Tom Hardy , Domhnall Gleeson and Will Poulter .   Development began in August 2001 when producer Akiva Goldsman purchased Punke 's manuscript . Iñárritu signed on to direct in August 2011 and in April 2014 , after several delays due to other projects , Iñárritu confirmed that he was beginning work on The Revenant and that DiCaprio would play the lead role . Principal photography began in October 2014 . Location and crew concerns delayed the film from May to August 2015 .   The film premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre on December 16 , 2015 and had a limited release on December 25 , expanding on January 8 , 2016 . It received positive reviews from critics , with the performances , direction and cinematography receiving praise . The Revenant won three Golden Globe Awards , five BAFTA Awards and at the 88th Academy Awards , Iñárritu , DiCaprio and Emmanuel Lubezki won the awards for Best Director , Best Actor and Best Cinematography , respectively . DiCaprio also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor -- Motion Picture Drama , Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role , Critics ' Choice Movie Award for Best Actor and BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role .