The Devil in the White City has been a wildly successful book, and now word comes that it is finally being developed into a movie, with Leonardo Di Caprio attached to play the role of serial killer H.H. Holmes.
The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic and Madness at the Fair That Changed America (by Erik Larson) is the bizarre true story of an infamous serial killer who used the 1893 Chicago World ‘s Fair as a device to procure his victims. It is estimated that Holmes murdered anywhere from 27 to 200 men, women and children.
Holmes built an elaborate killing chamber that included a self-contained cadaver disposal in a hotel near the fairgrounds. His story is woven with that of Daniel Hudson Burnham, an architect who was responsible for designing and building the elaborate fairgrounds “aka The White City.”
According to Deadline, Di Caprio’s Appian Way and Double Features jointly acquired screen rights to Larson’s book. The movie will be written prior to shopping a studio. Di Caprio will produce and star.
Recently, Di Caprio helped bring another beloved book to screen when he played Teddy Daniels in Shutter Island.
