Keanu Reeves is set to star in an episodic adaptation of Erik Larson’s best-selling crime story, The Devil in the White City, according to Deadline. Leonardo DiCaprio, who acquired the rights to the book in 2010, will produce the project for Hulu with his longtime collaborator Martin Scorsese.
Update – August 4th: The series has received a full episode order from Hulu, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Originally released in 2003, The Devil in the White City tells the true story of Daniel H. Burnham, the architect behind the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and Dr. H. H. Holmes, the serial killer who used the fair to lure his victims.
When DiCaprio first acquired the rights to the book, it was thought he would star in a feature-length film directed by Scorsese. However, in 2019 DiCaprio and Scorsese struck a deal with Hulu to reimagine the project as a limited series. At the time, the deal was said to be one of the expensive acquisitions in Hulu’s history.
Todd Field (Little Children, In the Bedroom) will direct the first two episodes of the series. Field and Sam Shaw (Castle Rock) are also on board as producers of the project. Shaw will also serve as the showrunner.
For Reeves, The Devil in the White City marks his first major TV role. The veteran actor recently reprised his role as Neo in The Matrix Resurrections, and is also confirmed for at least two more John Wick moves.
