Director Todd Field opts out of the production of Hulu’s The Devil In The White City just days after Keanu Reeves also left. Deadline reports that the director departs the production a few days after the star decided to also let go of the project.
While the actor and the director did not specifically say the reason they are opting out of the series, months of pre-production seem to be taking a slower pace.
Hulu’s The Devil In The White City Todd Field Passes Helm
Image: J.R. Key
This news also confirms that Reeves is also not taking on producing the series. The series in development still has its logline as:
tells the true story of Daniel H. Burnham, a demanding but visionary architect who races to make his mark on history with the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, and Dr. H. H. Holmes, America’s first modern serial killer and the man behind the notorious ‘Murder Castle’ built in the Fair’s shadow.
Devil in the White City is a historical non-fiction that author Erik Larson wrote in novelistic style. It tells the story between Daniel Burnham, Frederick Law Olmsted and H.H.Holmes. In the non-fiction novel, Burnham is the architect who works to build up his name in the 1893 World’s Fair. Holmes is the time period’s serial killer who uses the fair to attract and kill women.
IMDb no longer lists Reeves as Daniel Burnham neither does it list a director as well as a release date.
Hulu’s The Devil In The White City Todd Field Passes Helm
Image: Columbia Pictures
The historical non-fiction live action adaptation has 8 episodes in its plans. Currently, the tentative release year is 2024. While there may still be time, production has to find its director and star soon. Some followers of this development suggest that the actor Leonardo DiCaprio should take on the role himself. Also, there are executive producers connected to the series who have also taken on directing projects.
Martin Scorsese, Rick Yorn, and Jennifer Davisson, Stacey Sher, Sam Shaw, Lila Byock and Mark Lafferty join DiCaprio as executive producers. They have Shaw as the series’ writer and showrunner.
While there may be growing number of followers of this project who are now worried, there is still the solid base of writer and producers for the series. For one thing, this very well demonstrates that it could very well be a passion project for those who are still in its roster.
