Thanks to Disney merging with Hulu, we've had some very interesting shows and movies make their way to the magical streaming service. Some of them are all-time classics, but others are decidedly outside the Disney image.
With entries like the new Goosebumps series already turning heads, Disney+ has dipped its toe in the horror genre more than once. However, an adaptation of the crimes of a real-life serial killer isn't exactly the most family-friendly project. And yet, it might be a stroke of brilliance.
The Devil in the White City comes to Disney+ and Hulu
Erik Larson's The Devil in the White City has been in development for years with both Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese attached, but a recent report from What's On Disney Plus? shares that the controversial project might have new life again on Disney+ and Hulu.
Larson's horror novel explores the case of H.H. Holmes and his infamous Murder Castle, a sweep of horrific murders that shook Chicago in the late 1800s. Now, it seems like the long-awaited adaptation is finally on its way.
"The long-awaited film adaptation of Erik Larson’s bestselling book The Devil in the White City just got a shot of adrenaline, as sources tell Deadline that 20th Century has come on to the project with Leonardo DiCaprio in talks to star and Martin Scorsese in talks to direct. DiCaprio and Scorsese would also produce along with Stacey Sher, Rick Yorn and DiCaprio’s Appian Way partner Jennifer Davisson."
"Sources add that there is currently no script for the pic, which is based on Larson’s nonfiction classic Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America, first published in 2004."
The fact that both the legendary Leonardo DiCaprio and Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese are attached to the project could mean a critical and financial success for Disney, 20th Century Studios, and their streaming services. With the right direction, this could be a heaping helping of Oscar bait in the works.
With that in mind, this likely isn't going to be the standard-issue guts and gore horror fest but rather a gritty arthouse picture about one of America's most notorious criminals. That said, Scorsese has done horror before (look at The Snowman from 2017).
A fascinating story, but one we didn't expect to air on a Disney-owned service. Either way, it's a gripping thriller that seems to have the right people involved to generate interest and hype.
No release date has been announced, but interested viewers can still read Larson's original novel.