Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have teamed up again for the film “Devil in the White City.”
Leonardo DiCaprio has had his eye on “Devil in the White City” and the accompanying lead role for quite some time. According to Deadline, DiCaprio will get his wish and work alongside director and friend Martin Scorsese when it comes to playing the part. While five different studios were battling to acquire the film rights to the famous Erik Larson book, it was Paramount that prevailed in the end. They wasted no time in choosing their lead actor and director and also recently assigned “Captain Phillips” screenwriter Billy Ray.
“Devil in the White City,” written by Erik Larson, is about one of the most notorious serial killers in Chicago. Leonardo DiCaprio is set to play the lead role of the serial killer known as Dr. HH Holmes. Some have noted similarities between this 19th century character and Hannibal Lecter which could appeal to the darker side of the Academy, just like “Silence of the Lambs.” The premise of the story revolves around a hotel known as “The World’s Fair Hotel” which was created by the film’s lead protagonist, Dr. HH Holmes. The hotel was later referred to as the “murder castle” as the doctor would lure guests in with charm and later mutilate their bodies in the name of science.
This role should be an intriguing one for DiCaprio as it differs from his norm. He has played a villain before but never a character of full relentless evil. Even his character in his last Martin Scorsese project, “The Wolf of Wall Street,” could be seen as a victim of greed rather than pure evil. To play a serial killer with no remorse should highlight the range of Leo as an actor and also provide the audience with a first time look at Leonardo DiCaprio in a role like we’ve never seen before.
A release date has yet to be set for “Devil in the White City,” but I’m sure that many will keep their eyes on the progress of the film.