Just a week ago, it really did look like Hulu’s long-awaited series, “Devil in the White City,” was coming together nicely. Not only was Keanu Reeves set to make the jump to prestige TV dramas for the series, produced by Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio, no less, but Todd Field was aboard to direct. ‘Devil’ had all the makings of must-see, event TV. Well, what a difference a matter of days makes. Not only is Reeves no longer set to star, but it appears Hulu’s limited series has lost its director.
According to Variety, Todd Field is the latest person to depart the upcoming Hulu series, “Devil in the White City.” This news comes just several days after it was announced that Keanu Reeves has also departed the show. So, we’re left with one of the most anticipated series in development losing both its star and director and seemingly forced to go back to the drawing board.
“Devil in the White City” is based on the bestselling book by Erik Larson and tells the story of an architect aiming to make a splash at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair while H.H. Holmes is also around murdering people in secret and becoming one of the first major American serial killers. It’s a project that has been in the works for years, originally as a film with Scorsese and DiCaprio attached, then relaunched as a potential limited series with Hulu.
READ MORE: The Lost & Unmade Projects Of Filmmaker Todd Field
Field is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers working today. He’s been nominated for three Oscars for his previous films, “Little Children” and “In the Bedroom.” His most recent film, the upcoming “Tár,” has received near-universal acclaim and is set to be a major player in this year’s awards season.
The report claims that Hulu is actively looking to not only find a replacement for Todd Field but also for Keanu Reeves. We’ll see if the project eventually loses steam yet again or if they’ll be able to recover and still deliver this long-awaited show.