Elain Brown Culture 08.05.2022 03:Aug AM EDT

Keanu Reeves Joins Hulu's 'Devil in the White City'

Hulu will host the TV adaptation of "Devil in the White City."

The television version of Erik Larson's best-selling novel Devil in the White City has been acquired by Hulu for their streaming service.

Along with the announcement came the revelation that veteran action star Keanu Reeves has been officially cast in what will be his most significant role on television to date.

This adaptation will also mark his first major role in a television show in the United States. During the summer tour that the Television Critics Association was holding, Hulu made the announcement that they would be adapting this show.

Both Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese will serve in an executive producing capacity for The Devil in the White City.

Keanu Reeves Is Coming to Hulu!

Hulu has yet to host Keanu Reeves in what will be his biggest TV role to date in Larson's book adaptation, which is set to premiere in 2024 as an eight-episode first season.

After more than a decade's worth of deals and bidding by a plethora of studios, the work will finally be adapted for the screen for the very first time in the form of a television series.

In 2010, Leonardo DiCaprio became the first person to option the rights to the book, and at the time, there were plans for Martin Scorcese to direct the adaptation of the book into a feature film starring DiCaprio.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sam Shaw has joined the team as a writer and will also serve as the showrunner and executive producer. Alongside Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson will serve as executive producers.

The latter was slated to direct the feature film that was going to be produced by Paramount Pictures, and Leonardo DiCaprio was supposed to play the lead role in the movie.

However, instead of DeCaprio playing the star in the TV adaptation, it has been decided that it will be played by Keanu Reeves. A well-known film actor who played Neo in the blockbuster science fiction film The Matrix.

Furthermore, despite Reeves being known for his rare appearances on TV, Reeves will not just star in The Devil in the White City but also serve as an executive producer for the television series on Hulu.

The series, which will now be directed by Todd Field and is a co-production between ABC Signature at Disney and Paramount Television Studios, has officially brought Field on board.

In 2015, after a big bidding war in which Billy Ray was attached to write the script, Paramount Pictures was ultimately successful in acquiring the rights to the novel.

The Devil in the White City Story

Hulu's Devil in the White City is based on the book by Erik Larson, which starts the story about the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago.

According to Deadline, the streaming company announced that this would be a limited series order for the drama. The series will tell and revolve around the stories 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.

Furthermore, Reeves may have been confirmed to play Daniel Burnham, but it is still unclear who is going to play Dr. H. H. Holmes.