Martin Scorsese has officially committed to directing his next film, "What Happens at Night," starring Academy Award winners Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence.

The project represents a departure from Scorsese's recent crime epics, adapting Peter Cameron's haunting 2020 ghost story novel into what promises to be a psychological thriller reminiscent of the director's 2010 film "Shutter Island."

Apple Original Films is negotiating to finance and produce the adaptation alongside Studiocanal, which acquired the rights to Cameron's acclaimed novel in 2023. The screenplay has been written by Patrick Marber, known for his work on "Closer" and "Notes on a Scandal." Production is targeting a January 2026 start date, marking Scorsese's return to directing after wrapping "Killers of the Flower Moon" in October 2021.

The story follows an unnamed American couple who travel to a remote, snow-covered European town to adopt a baby. The wife, who is battling cancer, is desperately weak from their journey, while her husband worries her illness might prevent the adoption.

They check into the vast, nearly deserted Borgarfjaroasysla Grand Imperial Hotel, where they encounter a mysterious cast of characters, including a flamboyant chanteuse, a corrupt businessman, and an enigmatic faith healer.

Nothing appears as it seems in this strange, frozen world. As the couple struggles to claim their baby, they begin to lose their understanding of themselves, their marriage, and reality itself. The narrative explores themes of love, death, and human inadequacy while maintaining an eerie, dreamlike atmosphere that has drawn comparisons to "The Shining" and "Twin Peaks."

This marks the seventh collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio, following their partnerships on "Gangs of New York," "The Aviator," "The Departed," "Shutter Island," "The Wolf of Wall Street," and "Killers of the Flower Moon." For Lawrence, this represents her first time being directed by Scorsese, though he previously produced her upcoming film "Die My Love." DiCaprio and Lawrence previously appeared together in Adam McKay's 2021 satirical drama "Don't Look Up."

The project reunites Scorsese with Apple Original Films after their successful collaboration on "Killers of the Flower Moon," which earned 10 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture. With three Oscar winners attached and a script adapted from Cameron's critically praised novel, "What Happens at Night" positions itself as a significant entry in Scorsese's filmography and a notable departure into supernatural psychological territory for the legendary director.

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Martin Scorsese, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Film, Star