 Appian Way Productions is a film production company in West Hollywood , California , established by actor and producer Leonardo DiCaprio . The company 's first film was The Assassination of Richard Nixon ( 2004 ) . It then released the 2004 biopic The Aviator , starring DiCaprio as Howard Hughes . The film was a critical and commercial success , and earned several Academy Award nominations including Best Picture , Best Director , and Best Actor . In 2007 , the company released the film Blood Diamond , which earned DiCaprio another Academy Award nomination for Best Actor . In 2008 , the company released the film Blood Diamond : L