Martin Scorsese has committed to directing What Happens at Night, an adaptation of Peter Cameron's 2020 novel, with Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence starring as a married couple. The ghostly psychological drama follows their journey to a desolate European town for an adoption, where reality blurs in a cavernous hotel. Apple Original Films is in talks to finance the project alongside Studiocanal.
Reports indicate that after months of speculation about projects like a Frank Sinatra biopic and a Hawaiian crime drama, Martin Scorsese, now 82, has settled on What Happens at Night as his next film. The story, adapted by Patrick Marber from the 2020 novel, centers on DiCaprio and Lawrence's characters checking into a hotel filled with unsettling figures, leading to questions about their marriage, reality, and mortality. The tone evokes elements reminiscent of The Shining and Shutter Island.
Studiocanal has been developing the project since 2023, with a potential start date in January. This marks the seventh collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio, who has defined much of his career through their work together. For Lawrence, it would be her first pairing with DiCaprio, following her recent role in Lynne Ramsay's Die, My Love, which premiered at Cannes and is slated for release via MUBI in November.
Previous rumors included DiCaprio portraying Sinatra with Lawrence as Ava Gardner, as well as adaptations of Gilead and the long-delayed Life of Jesus. Those ideas now appear sidelined as this ghostly tale moves forward, highlighting Scorsese's ongoing exploration of haunting themes like guilt and faith, now with literal ghosts incorporated.