From what I understand, this is going down the Jason Connery as Fleming-bio route of being a quasi-Bond film. If true, it's a shame because I prefered Charles Dance as Fleming in Goldeneye (1989) - a lovely, resourceful, TV film that could have benefited from a bigger budget.
Yes, that is a shame and what would worry me. Because Fleming the man (from the scant details I know) was probably more interesting because he was NOT James Bond. I.e. he may have allegedly had a bit on the side, but that need not be played out in a biopic as if 007 has a bit on the side.
The Jason Connery biopic is story-lite to say the least. I remember the Charles Dance version being a lot more nuanced, a bit sadistic, almost kinky in parts (well certainly not afraid to hint at the sexual proclivities of the author and his subject) and dwelling on the process of being a writer with foibles in the 1950's rather than being a knowing look-back via the James Bond prism.
I think the THUNDERBALL rights saga could make an okay 60 min BBC Four drama, but not sure it would be all that interesting to the wider audience. But it would only be a certain thread in this DeCaprio project granted.
It's very hard for these behind the entertainment biopics to find a hook both structurally and emotionally in which to make the film stand alone. THE LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER SELLERS works very well as it realises the screen personalities of the man were what drove him in real life (to detrimental effect). There was a great ITV drama around 2000 (and repeated last year on BBC2 oddly) called COR BLIMEY that was about behind the scenes on the CARRY ON films and was a very successful and stinging look at Sid and Babs. That worked because it knew the films and their creatives were not actually one in the same - which was the lesson the characters had to learn and realise. I'd recommend it. Though a costume dresser in the piece erroneously says in 1974, "I'm doing a James Bond film next week...they're flying me to Tokyo".
With this Fleming project I just fear some cheap-shot homage-fest. The nods to the screen version of James Bond (apparently they made a few of those Jim Bond secret agent films...a dozen last I heard...) need almost not emerge until the closing reels. But no doubt every women Fleming crosses will be a vamp, every car will have an additional button installed, every barman will know his order and every fight scene will be over-edited (!).
