Martin Scorsese reunites with Leonardo DiCaprio and casts Jennifer Lawrence in eerie adoption thriller 'What Happens at Night'

Highlights

• Martin Scorsese is set to direct a film adaptation of the novel What Happens at Night.
• Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence will star as the lead couple in the project.
• The story follows a couple’s eerie and troubling journey to a remote European city to adopt a child.
• Apple Original Films and Studiocanal are behind the production.

Martin Scorsese is assembling a powerhouse team for his next cinematic venture. The legendary filmmaker will direct the adaptation of Peter Cameron’s novel What Happens at Night. For this project, he reunites with frequent collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio and teams up for the first time with Jennifer Lawrence. The film promises a haunting tale set against a bleak, snow covered backdrop.

Martin Scorsese directs Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence in What Happens at Night Getty Images

What is the plot of What Happens at Night ?

The story tracks an American couple who travel to an isolated, frigid European city. Their goal is to adopt a baby, but the trip quickly unravels. The wife is seriously ill with cancer, and her declining health threatens to derail the entire adoption process. They check into a vast, almost deserted hotel. The place is strange, filled with characters such as a flamboyant singer, a shady businessman and even a faith healer. Nothing in this town makes much sense, and the couple starts questioning everything, including their own marriage.

Why is this Scorsese project creating so much buzz?

Simple. It’s the team. Scorsese and DiCaprio have a historic partnership, from The Departed to Killers of the Flower Moon. Adding Jennifer Lawrence into that mix is a major deal. It’s her first time being directed by Scorsese, though he did produce her upcoming film Die My Love. And audiences already know DiCaprio and Lawrence have great chemistry from the satirical hit Don’t Look Up. Putting them in a bleak, mysterious drama under Scorsese’s guidance is a recipe for something special.

Martin Scorsese casts Jennifer Lawrence alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in chilling adoption dramaGetty Images

Who is involved in the production?

The project is being shepherded by Apple Original Films and Studiocanal. Studiocanal grabbed the rights to the book last year. Sharp eyed screenwriter Patrick Marber, an Oscar nominee for Notes on a Scandal, is tackling the adaptation. This is a proper prestige production setup, the kind that gets everyone in Hollywood paying attention. It also continues Apple’s strong relationship with Scorsese and DiCaprio after the critical success of Killers of the Flower Moon.

What’s next for the stars?

Neither DiCaprio nor Lawrence are exactly resting. DiCaprio is currently winning praise for Paul Thomas Anderson’s new drama One Battle After Another. Meanwhile, Lawrence’s performance in the Scorsese produced Die My Love has already sparked serious Oscar chatter following its debut at Cannes. Their schedules are packed, which makes their commitment to What Happens at Night a clear sign of their belief in Scorsese’s vision.