A few months ago, Blake Lively was one of the contenders for the role of Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann’s remake of The Great Gatsby. We know this because Blake’s publicist made sure that everyone knew she took a meeting with Baz, and that Blake was spending some time with Leonardo DiCaprio, who will likely be playing Jay Gatsby. This Leo connection would be good for Blake professionally and sexually – after all, Blake is kind of Leo’s “type” for a girlfriend, and Blake could perhaps be someone’s budget idea of Daisy Buchanan. Fortunately for filmgoers, Carey Mulligan won the part of Daisy in the end, and so Blake’s only need for any Leo-time was as a potential sexual partner.

So, on Saturday night, Jeremy Renner threw himself a massive 40th birthday blowout, and it quickly morphed into one of the better industry parties ever. Lots of A-listers were there – Leo, Colin Farrell, Charlize Theron, Scarlett Johansson, and Renner’s The Town costar, Blake Lively. Guess who Blake made a beeline for?

Has Blake Lively set her sights on Leonardo DiCaprio? The newly single “Gossip Girl” star was spotted flirting with DiCaprio at “Hurt Locker” star Jeremy Renner’s birthday at his house in The Hills on Saturday night.

A spy told us, “They were on the balcony together for an hour. They were standing close in a corner and looked like there was a lot of flirting. Later, they were together again by the bar.”

There was no sign of DiCaprio’s model girlfriend, Bar Refaeli, who was believed to be working. But a pal told us he and Lively “are just friends and Leo left with Kevin Connolly.”

Others who joined the dancing and mingled in the house and on the terrace included Colin Farrell, Charlize Theron, Scarlett Johansson and Christina Aguilera, who was spotted looking a little wobbly and was helped out by boyfriend Matt Rutler. DiCaprio’s rep declined to comment. Reps for Lively and Aguilera didn’t get back to us.

[From Page Six]

If Leo left with Kevin Connolly, then that was probably very disappointing for Blake. What’s up with her lately? First she was riding Ryan Gosling and then it was kind of over as soon as it started, and it just seems like Blake is kind of desperate to upgrade to a big A-list celebrity boyfriend. That’s how she’s coming across to me: desperate. But maybe Leo likes that. If he and Blake do become something, though, she won’t be able to famewhore the relationship at all. Leo doesn’t care for that stuff.

Also – what’s up with Leo and Bar? Did they split? I think they might have, honestly.

One last thing – reports indicate that at the party, Blake wasn’t the only vacant blonde working her tits. Scarlett Johansson is back, bitches. According to Us Weekly, ScarJo’s rebound for the night was Kevin Connolly… sidenote: when did Kevin Connolly become so friggin’ A-list? He’s chillin’ with Leo, flirting it up with ScarJo. Weird. Anyway, Us Weekly says ScarJo and Kevin were “together all night and talked…They weren’t kissing, just drinking together.” A “bunch of agents” were hanging around her too, and the agents were “standing there listening to her.” Another witness says: “She was having a great time. There was no drama with her. She was running around the party and was a party girl, bouncing around from person to person.”

If you were a dude, would you rather go home with Blake’s desperate, plotting famewhore machinations, or ScarJo’s fun-loving drunk party girl? Yeah. That’s why ScarJo is A-list and Blake isn’t. Blake could learn a few things.

One last thing: why was no one trying to ride Jeremy Renner? It was his birthday! Will no one think of the birthday boy’s need for drunk ass? If Jeremy had invited me, I would have given him some birthday ass.

Photos courtesy of WENN.