The long-gestating feature adaptation of Erik Larson’s 2003 true-crime nonfiction book, “The Devil in the White City,” is being revisited by Leonardo DiCaprio and Hollywood veteran Martin Scorsese.
After more than 20 years in different stages of development, the project is now back on track at 20th Century Studios.According to entertainment news source The Hollywood Reporter, the movie is still in its early stages of development and does not yet have a script.
The project will be produced by Scorsese and DiCaprio, who have collaborated on movies like “Gangs of New York,” “The Aviator,” “The Departed,” “Shutter Island,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” and “Killers of the Flower Moon.” Stacey Sher, Rick Yorn, and Jennifer Davisson will also be involved.
The true story of “The Devil in the White City” centers on two men whose lives were irrevocably connected by the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893: an architect and a serial killer.
It centers on Henry H. Holmes, a dashing and crafty physician who created his own pharmaceutical “Murder Castle” on fair grouradhikands—a palace designed to entice, torture, and disfigure young women—and Daniel H. Burnham, a brilliant and meticulous architect who is eager to leave his mark on the world.
In 2010, DiCaprio acquired the film rights to the book and had previously arranged for Scorsese to direct it as a feature at Paramount. DiCaprio was considering playing Holmes at the time.Prior to that, an earlier version was slated to be directed by Kathryn Bigelow, and another version included Paula Wagner and Tom Cruise.
After receiving approval from American streaming service Hulu in 2019, the project evolved into a television series. Filmmaker Todd Field and Hollywood actor Keanu Reeves were involved in the project but left by the end of 2022. In March 2023, Hulu formally put the series on hold.