Leonardo DiCaprioandMartin Scorseseare teaming up once more for an adaptation ofThe Devil in the White City, which is perfect for Scorsese to go back to a genre he hasn’t visited again in 34 years. Leonardo DiCaprio has done a bit of everything in over 30 years of his career and has collaborated with different, well-known directors. However, one of his most famous and praised team-ups has been with Martin Scorsese, beginning with the epic historical dramaGangs of New York. At the time of writing,Scorsese and DiCaprio have collaborated on seven movies.
Movies likeThe Departed,The Wolf of Wall Street, andKillers of the Flower Moonbrought a lot of praise for DiCaprio, and he has become one ofScorsese’s most frequent collaborators. Now, shortly after the success ofKillers of the Flower Moon,Scorsese and DiCaprio are teaming up once moreon a project that has been trapped in development hell for years: an adaptation of Erik Larson’s 2003 historical non-fiction bookThe Devil in the White City, through which Scorsese can finally go back to a genre he left more than three decades ago.
Martin Scorsese Hasn’t Made A Horror Movie Since 1991’s Cape Fear
Cape Fear Was Released In 1991
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed Americatakes readers back to 1893 Chicago, during the World’s Columbian Exposition, to tellthe story of World’s Fair architect Daniel Burnham and H. H. Holmes. Burnham came across various challenges with the World’s Fair, whileHolmes was a con artist and a serial killer, widely considered the first serial killer in the US.The Devil in the White Cityintertwined their stories, while one struggled with his project and the other lured his victims to his infamous “Murder Castle.”
It’s the perfect material for a horror movie, and Scorsese hasn’t made one sinceCape Fear.
In 2010, DiCaprio purchased the film rights toThe Devil in the White City, and the plan was for Scorsese to direct. However, after years in development hell, the project was changed to a TV series in 2019, set to be released on Hulu (viaVariety). DiCaprio and Scorsese were on board as executive producers, but in 2023, it was reported that the project wasn’t going to move forward anymore (viaVariety). Now that the future ofThe Devil in the White Citylooks brighter, it’s the perfect material for a horror movie, and Scorsese hasn’t made one sinceCape Fear.
Why Cape Fear Is Secretly Martin Scorsese’s Best Horror Movie
Martin Scorsese’s stylish and bombastic remake of 1961’s Cape Fear is disguised as a thriller but is secretly the director’s best horror movie.
Based on the 1957 novelThe Executioners, by John D. MacDonald, and a remake of the 1962 movie of the same name,Cape Fearstars Robert De Niro as Max Cady and Nick Nolte as Sam Bowden.Cape Fearfollows Cady, a violent rapist who, after being released from prison, wants vengeance against Bowden, who he blames for his imprisonment due to purposefully faulty defense tactics.Cape Fearis Scorsese’s only horror movie to date, butThe Devil in the White City, thanks to H. H. Holmes, can bring Scorsese back to the genre.
Why The Devil in the White City Would Be A Perfect Scorsese Horror Movie
The Devil in the White City Can Bring Horror & Drama Together
The Devil in the White Citywill surely have a heavy dramatic charge, but it has all the elements to be a perfect Scorsese movie.Cape Fearproved Scorsese can do horror without jumpscares and large amounts of blood– instead, he focused more on psychological horror, with Max Cady being one of the scariest villains ever.The Devil in the White Citycan follow this same style and focus more on what makes Holmes terrifying – as in, what goes through his mind and what leads him to kill – rather than the murders themselves.
A big part of what will make or breakThe Devil in the White Cityas a Scorsese horror movie is whoever gets to play Holmes.
In addition to that,The Devil in the White Cityhas the parallel story of Burnham, which can add more tension to the story as he struggles with the World’s Fair while Holmes continues to kill. Of course, a big part of what will make or breakThe Devil in the White Cityas a Scorsese horror movie is whoever gets to play Holmes, just like De Niro’s performance inCape Fearwas key to its success.The Devil in the White Citycan show another side ofMartin Scorsese’s type of horror, with a good dose of drama and lots of tension.
