There are certain filmmaking partnerships that simply work. From Wes Anderson and Bill Murray to Christopher Nolan and Michael Caine, some actors and directors seem tailor-made to collaborate with each other. One of the greatest modern filmmaking partnerships is the one shared between Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese, and it now appears that the two are finally about to team up for the long-awaited adaptation of The Devil in the White City. Scorsese explained:
Right now, there is a script being worked on. One of the things that I had to stop for the past six months was my meetings on that script. They want me to start again in January and see if we can find a way because it's an extraordinary story.
Martin Scorsese recently spoke to The Toronto Sun and revealed that he's currently in the process of developing a film adaptation of Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City with Leonardo DiCaprio. Although the film's script is in the process of coming together, Scorsese recently had to pull back in order to properly focus his attention on his upcoming film, Silence. With Silence finished, he plans to return to The Devil in the White City at the beginning of the coming year. The New York Times Best Seller has remained in development hell since 2010, when Leonardo DiCaprio purchased the film rights, and it seems that fans of the Erik Larson book will finally get to see the story told on the silver screen. Better late than never, I suppose.
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America became a complete phenomenon when it debuted back in 2003. Based on true events that unfolded during the 1893 Chicago World's Fair, the film follows the intertwining stories of an architect named Daniel Burnham, as well as an infamous serial killer named H. H. Holmes, who became notorious for constructing a "Murder Castle" that reportedly claimed the lives of at least nine people (but up to 200, based on Holmes' own confession) victims. It's a dark and dreary story that's made even more fascinating by the fact that it actually happened.
Based solely on that description of the plot, there's absolutely no question that this is definitely the type of story that Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio should tell next. It's a complex and dark tale that combines historical drama with some intense otherworldly evil. With a solid script, this could very easily become their best collaboration to date, which is seriously saying something when we consider the strength of their shared filmography.
CinemaBlend will bring you any and all relevant updates related to the upcoming film adaptation of The Devil in the White City as new information becomes available to us. With Martin Scorsese continuing work on the project in January, we can likely expect to learn some awesome new details very soon. Stay tuned!
