Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire and Tom Hardy are teaming up to produce an untitled animal-trafficking drama set up at Warner Bros., according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Hardy came up with the idea, inspired* by friends who are former Special Forces operatives and went on to become anti-poaching* fighters in South Africa and other nations.

The goal is to make a movie in the vein* of “Traffic,” Steven Soderbergh’s multistory take* on the various impacts of the war on drugs. In this case, the story would look at everything from the ground war on poachers in the African savanna* to how animal material ends up in the fashion houses of Paris. It’s unclear whether DiCaprio, Maguire or Hardy would act in the movie.

A search for a writer has begun.

DiCaprio and Maguire are lifelong friends but rarely have worked together, though both are starring in “The Great Gatsby” for Warners, which is set for release in summer 2013.

DiCaprio also is a longtime animal-rights activist. Last year, he became the spokesman for a campaign to protect elephants organized by the International Fund for Animal Welfare.

Hardy is one of the studio’s new favorite actors, coming off his notable appearances in “The Dark Knight Rises” and “Inception” (alongside DiCaprio). Hardy is starting to become active as a producer, having recently set up an untitled biker project at Warner Bros. (SD-Agencies)