Martin Scorsese’s ‘Devil in the White City’ Revived at 20th Century With Leonardo DiCaprio in Talks to Star
by Katcy Stephan · VarietyMartin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio‘s next collaboration “The Devil in the White City” is taking shape once again, as 20th Century Studios has boarded the project. Scorsese and DiCaprio will also produce alongside Stacey Sher, Rick Yorn and DiCaprio’s Appian Way partner Jennifer Davisson.
The film, which does not yet have a script, will be an adaptation of Erik Larson’s bestselling 2004 book “Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America.” The book follows Dr. H.H. Holmes, a serial killer who used the 1893 World’s Fair in Chicago to lure his victims to their death.
The long-gestating project has been in development for nearly two decades. DiCaprio and his Appian Way Productions acquired the rights in 2010 with plans to adapt it as a film in which he would star as Holmes. Martin Scorsese came onboard to direct in 2015, with Billy Ray set to write the script. It was first put in development in Hollywood by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner through their Cruise/Wagner banner via the shingle’s deal with Paramount, but the option lapsed in 2004. Paramount reacquired the film rights in 2007 and set it up with producers Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher.
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A series adaptation of the book was also set at Hulu with director Todd Field and star Keanu Reeves, but was scrapped in 2023.
20th Century and Disney Live Action president David Greenbaum, 20th Century president Steve Asbell and SVP of Production Sarah Shepard will be overseeing “Devil in the White City” for the studio.
DiCaprio and Scorsese’s numerous collaborations include “Gangs of New York,” “The Aviator,” “The Departed,” “Shutter Island,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” and most recently, “Killers of the Flower Moon.”
Deadline was first to report the news.