The Devil in the White City: From Matrix to Mystery
News arrives in a not-so‑glorious fashion: Keanu Reeves, the guy who once turned the Matrix into a cultural phenomenon, has hung up his role as the lead for Martin Scorsese’s Hulu series, The Devil in the White City. Variety slotted the announcement two months after Reeves was spotted glistening as the star‑prospect, but the scoop suggests he’s stepping out, leaving the team scrambling to find a new front‑liner.
A New Hero Needed, a New Director Missing
- Reeves – originally slated to play architect Daniel H. Burnham, the steely visionary behind Chicago’s 1893 World’s Fair.
- Todd Field – the director who was set to helm the drama, but is also reportedly off the project.
- DiCaprio – once attached to the supervillain role of Dr. H. H. Holmes, but will no longer appear on screen. Still in the executive producer lineup alongside Jennifer Davisson, Martin Scorsese, Stacey Sher, Sam Shaw, and Mark Lafferty.
The show, based on Erik Larson’s acclaimed book, has been in development for over a decade and even flirted with feature‑film status. We’re still waiting on a release date or episode count, so you’ll just have to keep your fingers crossed.
Reeves’ Break‑Up Reasons
They haven’t made a public statement, but we suspect the reason lies in Reeves’ jam-packed schedule. He’s about to dive back into the John Wick universe, with Chapter 4 hitting theaters on March 24, 2022. Then there’s Constantine 2 on the horizon. He’s also flirting with a potential role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and recently inked a deal for the Phantom Liberty expansion of Cyberpunk 2077.
All in all, the drama that was once on hold has jumped back into the spotlights, albeit with a different squad. Stay tuned to see who finally steps into the shoes of Burnham or Holmes, and whether the series gets the boost it deserves. Until then, it remains a tantalizing, cliff‑hanger‑filled mystery—much like the plot of the original book.
