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The Devil in the White City News & Update: Keanu Reeves, Director Todd Field Both Quit Serial Killer Series


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Credit: Insider/YouTube

Todd Field, the director and executive producer of The Devil in the White City, left the project just days after star Keanu Reeves' departure was announced.

It's the latest stumbling block for the project, which Hollywood has been working on for nearly two decades.

The Devil in the White City Hits Snag

Neither party has stated a reason for their disengagement from the project. Variety broke the news of Field's leaving first.

The director is currently promoting his latest picture, Tár, which is generating a lot of Oscar hype, particularly for its main actress, Cate Blanchett.

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According to the show's official logline, Devil in the White City, which is based on Erik Larson's 2003 book of the same name, tells the true story of Dr. H.H. Holmes, America's first modern serial killer, and Daniel H. Burnham, "a demanding but visionary architect who races to make his mark on history with the 1893 Chicago World's Fair."

Reeves was chosen to play Burnham, but Holmes' casting has not yet been announced.

A Long History of Roadblocks

This is another setback for the screen adaptation of The Devil in the White City, which has been in the works for over a decade. Originally, Leonardo DiCaprio had purchased the film rights to the novel in 2010 and had enlisted frequent colleague Martin Scorsese to direct and Billy Ray to write the script.

Then, in 2019, it was confirmed that The Devil in the White City would be made as a Hulu series instead.

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At the time, DiCaprio was slated to portray Holmes. Although Scorsese and DiCaprio are still serving as the show's executive producers, it is unclear whether DiCaprio will have any more responsibilities.

Tom Cruise purchased the rights to the actual book in 2003 before DiCaprio and Scorsese's attempts to launch the film, but his options expired in 2004. In 2007, Paramount again bought the movie rights.

Hulu is reportedly already looking for a replacement for Reeves, although it's unclear when a new actor to play Daniel Burnham will be cast.

If the search takes too long, production will most certainly be delayed, meaning that those looking forward to this limited series may have to wait even longer.

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