DiCaprio, Scorsese Are Teaming Up Again for 'Devil in White City'

JaredJones

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DiCaprio, Scorsese Are Teaming Up Again for 'Devil in White City'



After years stuck in development hell, it appears that Paramount Pictures will finally move forward with the Leonard DiCaprio-starring, Martin Scorsese-directed Devil in White City.

Given the immense (and at times, absurd) success of the Saw franchise, you'd think the true-to-life story of a serial killer who built a "murder castle" would have been greenlit for a half dozen films, a remake, and a line of incredibly dark Happy Meal toys by now (horror films oft live-and-die by the "based on actual events" tagline attached to them, after all.) Yet ever since Erik Larson released his novel, The Devil in White City, back in 2003, the film adaptation has more or less sat on the shelves, bouncing between studios, stars, and directors -- with everyone from Tom Cruise to Kathryn Bigelow being attached to the project at one point.

But now, at long last, one of the most disturbing works of nonfiction ever written may finally be headed to the silver screen, and we have Leonardo DiCaprio to thank for it.

DiCaprio, who purchased the rights to Devil back in 2010, has seemingly convinced Paramount Pictures to move ahead with the story based on prolific serial killer H.H. Holmes, and better yet, he's brought on a somewhat prolific director (and frequent collaborator of his) to man the helm. The Hollywood Reporter [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/leonardo-dicaprio-teams-martin-scorsese-814374] ... um ... reports:

"Paramount, after having acquired and let go of the project twice before, has scooped up the project, with DiCaprio on board to star, Scorsese to direct and Billy Ray to write the script."

Set amidst the infamous 1893 Chicago World's Fair, The Devil in White City tells the story of two men: Daniel Burnham, the architect tasked with constructing the "White City" within Chicago wherein the World's Fair took place, and H.H. Holmes, a serial killer who used the fair to lure tourists into a homemade "murder castle" complete with gas chambers, hanging rooms, and acid pits he had spent years elaborately constructing. While Holmes was only convicted on four counts of murder, his actual kill count has been estimated in the hundreds.

Holmes was equal parts Jigsaw and John Wick, essentially, and it would be hard to find an actor capable of channeling his manic intensity better than the guy who nearly cut his hand in half while filming Django Unchained [http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Django-Unchained-Features-Some-Leonardo-DiCaprio-Real-Blood-34804.html]. So pray with us, horror fans, that this project actually sees the light of day.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/leonardo-dicaprio-teams-martin-scorsese-814374]

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Neurotic Void Melody

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Interesting, it was only recently I happened upon a documemtary of H.H.Holmes. Didn't he build secret flats (being a landlord I think)and kidnap some ladies later in his years, torturing them sexually and non...sexually(?). He was apparently the charismatic, kind, charming psychopath that would do well for a film. Ehh time to research again.
 

Cowabungaa

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And with this, the drumroll of whether DiCaprio will finally win an Oscar has started once more.

As for myself, this is actually the first Scorcese film in a while I'm not all that jazzed about. I'm not too keen on the whole torture thing that seems to be central to this story.

Also, welcome to the news team! As this is apparently your first post.
 

P-89 Scorpion

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Cowabungaa said:
And with this, the drumroll of whether DiCaprio will finally win an Oscar has started once more.

As for myself, this is actually the first Scorcese film in a while I'm not all that jazzed about. I'm not too keen on the whole torture thing that seems to be central to this story.

Also, welcome to the news team! As this is apparently your first post.

DiCaprio wants an Oscar so expect the torture to be mostly implied rather than full on shown like with a torture porn film.
 

Ten Foot Bunny

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DiCaprio as H.H. Holmes?! YES!!!

I'm not an avid reader. To be honest, I've read four books since 2011, and this book was one of them. It takes A LOT to suck me into a story and this one had me hooked by the end of the first chapter.

Xsjadoblayde said:
Interesting, it was only recently I happened upon a documemtary of H.H.Holmes. Didn't he build secret flats (being a landlord I think)and kidnap some ladies later in his years, torturing them sexually and non...sexually(?). He was apparently the charismatic, kind, charming psychopath that would do well for a film. Ehh time to research again.
It's unlikely that Holmes kidnapped his Worlds Fair victims - he simply invited them to his "hotel" as guests, and the guests rarely checked out alive. He knew that if he took in wealthy foreigners (of which there were many thousands at the Fair) they had no nearby relatives to immediately report their disappearances, no connections to anyone in Chicago, and no trail leading to his door.

Nobody knew the layout of his hotel either because he regularly hired and fired builders so that nobody could piece together what his building was designed to be: a killing factory. Doors locked from the outside only, some rooms were designed as gas chambers, one room was nothing but a door leading to a bank-grade vault into which he trapped victims for suffocation, and the third floor had a door in the wall into which he could drop the deceased straight into the basement. His basement contained acid vats, a crematory, and every tool he needed to take apart bodies. To top it off, as a doctor, Holmes profited off of some of his victims' corpses because he turned them into medical skeletons which he then sold to educators and laboratories.

There is no doubt that Holmes kidnapped people though, especially on his final flight from the law. Then you have his missing girlfriends, the owners of the building he acquired for his pharmacy/hotel, and maybe even his "business partner."
 

JaredJones

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Cowabungaa said:
And with this, the drumroll of whether DiCaprio will finally win an Oscar has started once more.

As for myself, this is actually the first Scorcese film in a while I'm not all that jazzed about. I'm not too keen on the whole torture thing that seems to be central to this story.

Also, welcome to the news team! As this is apparently your first post.
Thanks! I'm pretty stoked to start working here and hope you guys dig what I put out!
 

FalloutJack

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Cowabungaa said:
And with this, the drumroll of whether DiCaprio will finally win an Oscar has started once more.
My Magic 8-Ball says no, but we'll just have to wait and see. I, personally, don't like the guy. Part of it is Titanic, another part is the rabid fans, and the third part is that every damn picture of him with that goatee is creepy as hell.
 

Neurotic Void Melody

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Ten Foot Bunny said:
There is no doubt that Holmes kidnapped people though, especially on his final flight from the law. Then you have his missing girlfriends, the owners of the building he acquired for his pharmacy/hotel, and maybe even his "business partner."
After a tad of reading more on the subject, you are indeed correct. He also ferried around 3 children he somehow took custody off a lady earlier, she still kept 2 kids. Unfortunatly they were found, 2 decomposing and the last one's remains in a cottage fireplace I believe. Certainly an intriguing tale. He looks a little like Charles Bronson in later photographs. Hmm...
 

skylog

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Eh. It's been done.
http://baltimorerockopera.org/production/murdercastle/
 

King_Julian

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I for one welcome our new alien over.......oh wait wrong topic. This sounds like a great film. i hope he finally get the oscar because i like him as an actor.
 

Samtemdo8_v1legacy

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No Martin I want you to continue production on The Irishman. With Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci in the same movie.

I like Dicaprio in Departed, Gangs of New York, and Wolf of Wall Street, but please make the Irishman your swansong before any you die please :(