Scorsese and DiCaprio’s Passion Project Faces More Setbacks

The Devil in the White City, a show in development by Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio for a long time, has faced another obstacle as its streaming platform has been lost. 

The series is based on the true story of the United States’ first serial killer, H.H. Holmes, who constructed a hotel with traps to murder his victims. 

Additionally, the show will shed light on Daniel H. Burnham, the architect behind the hotel, which was built during the 1893 World’s Fair. DiCaprio has been working on adapting Erik Larson’s book of the same title since 2010, and Scorsese joined the project in 2015. 

Nevertheless, the series has faced several challenges along the way.

Deadline recently reported that The Devil in the White City has encountered another obstacle, as the planned streaming platform Hulu has withdrawn from hosting the limited series. 

The show, which is set to have Scorsese and DiCaprio as executive producers, was initially not intended to be a streaming series, but had to make the adjustments due to the incessant delays.

As a result, ABC Signature is currently working to secure a new streaming platform for the show, which is slated to run for eight episodes.

The Devil in the White City is an audacious undertaking that may face financial constraints due to the era it depicts, requiring the recreation of significant events such as the 1893 World’s Fair that forms a crucial aspect of the narrative. 

Despite the support of Scorsese and DiCaprio, the project has encountered multiple obstacles over more than ten years of its development. 

Initially planned as a movie with DiCaprio portraying H.H. Holmes and Scorsese directing, the team changed course and turned it into a limited series.

Upon the adaptation of The Devil in the White City for TV, DiCaprio and Scorsese transitioned to executive producer roles and aimed to hire a new director and lead actor. 

Keanu Reeves was initially set to play the role of Burnham, the architect, but withdrew from the project in October 2022. 

Meanwhile, Todd Field, who received a Best Director Oscar nomination for Tár, was initially picked to direct the series, but also left the project shortly after Reeves’ departure.

Now, with The Devil in the White City losing its planned streaming service, the project continues to limp along with an unknown future. 

While many may think a show from Scorsese and DiCaprio is a no-brainer, there has been enough hiccups surrounding the series to give any studio or streaming service cause for concern. Many of the issues with the series may boil down to budget or creative differences. 

However, The Devil in the White City will likely find a new home as long as Scorsese and DiCaprio continue pushing it forward.