The Devil in the White City: Release Date, Story-line and All What We Know About This Superhit Movie

By Lois Robinett On Apr 1, 2022

Actors Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have established themselves as one of the most dynamic (and successful) actor-director teams in the history of Hollywood. The two have worked together on blockbuster hits such as “The Departed,” “Shutter Island,” and “The Aviator” without missing a beat, and they are currently working on Scorsese’s upcoming film “Killers of the Flower Moon,” which will star DiCaprio as a detective investigating the mysterious murders of the Osage Nation during the 1920s. “Killers of the Flower Moon” will be released in theatres on March 31 .

In fact, it is not their first nonfiction project together, and it will not be their last: both men are working as executive producers on the upcoming Hulu drama series “The Devil in the White City,” which will premiere in the fall of 2018. (via Variety). In the film, which is based on Erik Larson‘s nonfiction novel of the same name, a bleak historical period surrounding the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair will be explored, with a particular emphasis on the exploits of Henry H. Holmes, the man who is frequently referred to as the world’s first serial killer (Britannica).

The series is a passion project for DiCaprio, who purchased the film rights to the series almost ten years ago and has been working tirelessly to see it through to completion ever since. Fortunately, now that it is in development at Hulu, it appears as though he will finally get his wish fulfilled. Here’s what we know so far about the impending “Devil in the White City” television series….

When Will the Devil in the White City Be Released in Theatres and on Dvd?

Official Views of the World’s Columbian Exposition in the Public Domain/The Project Gutenberg EBook of Official Views
Despite DiCaprio’s enthusiasm in the story, “The Devil in the White City” has been stewing in production purgatory for years, beginning as a feature picture before being repurposed as a miniseries on the History Channel.
Obviously, after such a long period of time, readers of Larson’s novel will be screaming for the highly anticipated miniseries to be released as soon as possible – yet, unfortunately, the truth is that they may have to wait for quite some time.

Immediately following the completion of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” director Martin Scorsese has a new picture in development, “Roosevelt,” in which he will portray President Theodore Roosevelt, which is currently in production (via Deadline). He has also been linked to the film adaptation of the Stephan Talty novel “The Black Hand,” which is now in development (via Variety). The IMDb page for “Roosevelt” states that the film is scheduled for release in 2013, although neither project has received any significant changes since they were first announced in 2017.

Despite the fact that both of these projects were revealed before “The Devil in the White City,” it is hard to predict which project DiCaprio will choose to pursue next. This means that it is unclear when “The Devil in the White City” will ever begin production, though it is likely that you will not be able to view it until at least 2022 or later.

Is There Any Word on Who Will Be Appearing in the Devil in the White City?

With the notable exception of serial killer H. Holmes, who is being played by none other than DiCaprio himself, there is little to no information available about the rest of the series’ cast at the time of this writing. If successful, the series would mark a welcome return to DiCaprio‘s early acting days on the big screen.

It was at a young age that he began his television career, appearing in shows such as “The New Lassie,” “Parenthood,” and “Growing Pains,” though as you might expect, his television career as a child is about the most disparate thing that can be found between his television career as an adult and his career as an adult (via IMDb).

In reality, the man who inspired DiCaprio’s Holmes lived in Chicago during the 1893 World’s Fair and notoriously operated a structure that would come to be known as the “Murder Castle” — a hotel for any would-be victims who needed a place to stay while attending the fair — during that time. According to some estimations, he may have killed as many as 200 people during his stay in Chicago, despite having previously admitted to the murder of only 27 individuals (via Biography).

So, What Exactly Is the Story-line of the Devil in the White City?

However, while we do not yet know the specifics of the series’ storyline nor how much of it will be changed or fabricated for the screen, we can expect it to be based on the bestselling novel “The Devil in the White City” by Erik Larson, which is being adapted into the miniseries “The Devil in the White City.”

Daniel H. Burnham, a great architect, and H. H. Holmes, a famous detective, are the subjects of Larson’s novel, which takes place in the years leading up to and during the 1893 World’s Fair in New York City. Larson portrays the parallel journeys of both men, as Burnham tries to build the massive Chicago World’s Fair and Holmes works to build his Murder Castle and captivate his victims. Burnham and Holmes are each working to establish their own world’s fairs.

Ultimately, the World’s Fair is transformed into a historical drama that weaves together the traumatic and perilous construction of the World’s Fair with the story of a “Devil” who uses the occasion as the perfect hunting ground for his own nefarious intentions. It’s an outstanding novel that draws you in from the beginning to the end, and audiences will undoubtedly be in for a treat when the miniseries adaptation of “The Devil in the White City” is finally made available.