' THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY ' : CONCEPT HONOURS

Scorsese - DiCaprio's true crime epic reignites. For over a decade, Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese have been circling The Devil in the White City, a true-crime thriller set against the backdrop of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.

Now, after years of false starts and shifting formats, the long-delayed project appears to be back in motion.

According to Deadline, the film is in pre-production at 20th Century Studios, a division of Disney, since the company's 2019 acquisition of Rupert Murdoch's 20th Century Fox.

Based on Erik Larson's bestselling nonfiction book, The Devil in the White City : Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America, the story explores the chilling exploits of HH Holmes, the infamous serial killer who lured victims to his elaborately constructed. '' Murder Castle '' in Chicago.

Holmes, who was ultimately convicted and executed in 1896 for the murder of his accomplice,  Benjamin Pitezel, remains one of history's most notorious figures, his crimes the stuff of enduring fascination and speculation.

DiCaprio first acquired the rights to the book in 2010, with Scorese's involvement confirmed five years later, fresh off the critical and commercial success of The Wolf of Wall Street.

Although a screenplay was completed by Billy Ray, the project struggled to gain traction, shifting gears in 2022 to a planned television adaptation for Hulu.

That version, with Keanu Reeves set to star and Todd Field directing, also failed to materialise when both Reeves and Field departed the project in 2023.

A completed film still seems a distant prospect. Deadline reports that no script is currently attached.

The World Students Society thanks The Express Tribune.