Keanu Reeves to Star in Devil in the White City on Hulu

Devil in the White City is coming to streaming screens, and it has acquired the talents of one of the biggest action stars in Hollywood. As reported by Variety, Keanu Reeves is set to star as Daniel H. Burnham in Hulu’s serialized adaptation of Erik Larson’s New York Times bestseller. Devil in the White City tells the real-life story of how the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair inadvertently created one of the first known serial killers. The book primarily spotlights Burnham, who is an architect who is chasing the chance to leave his mark on history and Dr. H. H. Holmes, a con artist who is responsible for the infamous “Murder Castle.” 

While Reeves is the only actor signed on to the series at this time, Devil in the White City has no shortage of talent behind the scenes. Martin Scorsese, Rick Yorn, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson of Appian Way, Stacey Sher, Sam Shaw, Mark Lafferty, and Reeves himself will all serve as executive producers on the series.

Shaw will be tasked with adapting Larson’s book into a screenplay, and will also serve as showrunner. Todd Field (In the Bedroom, Little Children), who accumulated eight Academy Award nominations for his aforementioned directorial endeavors, is attached to direct and executive produce the series. ABC Signature will produce in association with Paramount Television Studios.

A live-action adaptation of Devil in the White City has been a long time coming. DiCaprio first acquired the movie rights to the book in 2010, and planned on starring in a feature film adaptation as Holmes. DiCaprio’s go-to directing tag partner, Scorsese, had joined the project in 2015 as its director. DiCaprio and Scorsese have previously worked together on critically-acclaimed motion-pictures like The Departed, The Wolf of Wall Street, Shutter Island, and more.

Before DiCaprio got his hands on it, Devil in the White City was being developed by Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner under Paramount. Paramount would lose the rights in 2004, before reacquiring them in 2007, but ultimately did not put them to use. 

Hulu has been working on its adaptation of the book since 2019, and have been negotiating with Reeves since this past January. Devil in the White City will be The Matrix star’s first major American television role of his career. Reeves’ vocal talents can currently be heard in DC League of Super-Pets, where he voices Batman. His next live-action film, John Wick: Chapter 4, is currently in post-production.

Devil in the White City is currently in development.