Finally! The long-gestating adaptation of ‘Devil in the White City’ from legendary filmmaker Martin Scorsese and supremely talented Leonardo DiCaprio has found a new studio home and is officially moving forward after numerous setbacks.
According to Deadline, the upcoming collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio has landed at 20th Century Studios. Excitingly, the project will now be a movie adaptation, after previously being discussed as a potential Hulu series.
The project will be based on the acclaimed novel, ‘Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America.’ It tells the story of Dr. H.H. Holmes, infamous for committing a series of horrific murders during the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.
DiCaprio acquired the rights to the novel in 2010, and since then, the project has been in development hell.
The decision to shift from a television series to a theatrical feature film is significant. The post-COVID era has seen a resurgence in theatrical releases, particularly in 2023 and 2024. Box office performance has improved compared to the pandemic years, which significantly benefited streaming services.
However, the last two years have demonstrated a resurgence in theatrical attendance, albeit not to pre-pandemic levels. This is a positive sign for both movie theaters and audiences who enjoy the cinematic experience.
The decision to shift the project from a Hulu series to a theatrical release reflects a growing preference among filmmakers for the theatrical experience. This is particularly encouraging, as star-studded theatrical releases typically perform well at the box office, generating substantial profits.
The newly announced development of ‘Devil in the White City’ also demonstrates that a long-awaited project can indeed come to fruition, provided it boasts a compelling storyline and receives consistent support from its creators.
However, the project is still in its early stages, with no script currently attached. It will likely take considerable time before it reaches theaters.
Given the successful track record of Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio’s collaborations, ‘Devil in the White City’ has the potential to be another cinematic masterpiece, joining the ranks of ‘Shutter Island,’ ‘The Departed,’ ‘The Wolf of Wall Street,’ and ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’
Despite the lack of a release date or a completed script, ‘Devil in the White City’ has already become one of the most anticipated theatrical releases in the near future. Stay tuned for further updates.