Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese are set to revive a long-stalled film adaptation of Erik Larson’s bestselling book, The Devil in the White City. The 20th Century studio has revived production on the project, with DiCaprio reportedly in talks to star as con artist H.H. Holmes and Scorsese negotiating to direct.
The book tells the true story of architect Daniel Burnham and con artist Holmes, who claimed to have murdered over 27 victims during the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair. The film is expected to focus on Holmes’ character, with production history suggesting it would explore his crimes.
DiCaprio first became involved in the project in 2010, purchasing the rights to Larson’s book after Tom Cruise’s option lapsed. Scorsese joined the project in 2015, intending to play Holmes opposite DiCaprio, but ultimately dropped out before the script was finalized.
The TV adaptation of The Devil in the White City was officially canceled in March 2023, with Keanu Reeves set to star as Burnham before leaving the project. If the film moves forward, it would mark DiCaprio’s seventh feature film with Scorsese, who has previously collaborated on Gangs of New York, The Aviator, and Killers of the Flower Moon.
The project would also represent Scorsese’s first non-streaming release since 2016’s Silence.
Source: https://ew.com/devil-in-the-white-city-revived-at-20th-century-8778915