Quick Read
- Martin Scorsese will direct ‘What Happens at Night’, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence.
- The story follows an American couple’s emotional journey to adopt a baby in a remote European town.
- Lawrence’s character battles cancer, adding depth to the adoption storyline.
- Filming begins January 2026 with Apple Original Films and Studiocanal producing.
- Patrick Marber penned the screenplay, drawing from Peter Cameron’s 2020 novel.
Scorsese, DiCaprio, Lawrence: The Powerhouse Trio Returns for a Ghostly Tale
Martin Scorsese, a name synonymous with cinematic mastery, has officially unveiled his next directorial venture—and the excitement rippling through Hollywood is palpable. Partnering once again with Leonardo DiCaprio, and welcoming Jennifer Lawrence into his creative orbit, Scorsese is set to adapt Peter Cameron’s unsettling novel, What Happens at Night, into a psychological ghost story that promises to haunt viewers long after the credits roll.
Apple Original Films is deep in negotiations to finance and produce the film alongside Studiocanal, with cameras scheduled to roll in January 2026. That timeline gives fans plenty to anticipate, and the early buzz is already electrifying industry chatter. This marks DiCaprio’s seventh collaboration with Scorsese, following their acclaimed work on Killers of the Flower Moon, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Shutter Island. For Lawrence, it’s an inaugural partnership with the legendary director—a move that’s being celebrated as a fresh injection of energy into Scorsese’s oeuvre.
Adoption, Illness, and the Thin Line Between Reality and Illusion
The story at the heart of What Happens at Night is as chilling as it is tender. DiCaprio and Lawrence will portray an unnamed American couple who journey to a remote, snowbound European town to adopt a baby. The town is enigmatic, its landscape bleak yet strangely inviting—a place where time seems to stretch and contract, echoing the surreal atmosphere of Scorsese’s earlier films.
The couple’s quest is not simply bureaucratic; it is deeply personal. The wife, played by Lawrence, is battling cancer—a struggle that leaves her physically frail and emotionally raw. Her husband, portrayed by DiCaprio, is consumed by the fear that her illness might jeopardize their chances at parenthood. As they wait in a cavernous, nearly empty hotel, their reality begins to unravel. The hotel itself becomes a character, its long corridors and silent rooms populated by oddball figures: a flamboyant chanteuse, a depraved businessman, and a charismatic faith healer. Each encounter blurs the line between the real and the imagined, inviting the couple—and the audience—to question what is truly happening.
This premise, drawn from Cameron’s 2020 novel, is loaded with emotional resonance and existential dread. The setting is wintry, isolating, and perfectly suited to Scorsese’s talent for weaving psychological complexity into his narratives. The theme of adoption, intertwined with illness and the longing for family, brings a raw humanity to the ghostly trappings of the story.
Behind the Scenes: Creative Forces and Industry Anticipation
Patrick Marber, the Tony Award-winning playwright behind Notes on a Scandal and The Critic, is responsible for the screenplay—a script acquired by Studiocanal in 2023. Initially, Scorsese was set to produce, but as competing projects fell by the wayside, he took the reins as director. DiCaprio, meanwhile, had been weighing several roles, including a biopic about Evel Knievel, before committing to this project. Lawrence, fresh off critical acclaim for her performance in Die, My Love, brings a new dynamic to the cast. Scorsese himself recently praised her for her “fearless emotional honesty” in portraying women facing psychological challenges.
Industry insiders are already hailing the casting as a coup. Not only do all three—Scorsese, DiCaprio, Lawrence—have Oscars on their shelves, but their collective reputation for immersive, emotionally charged performances has fans and critics alike expecting a film that will linger in the cultural consciousness.
The anticipation is reflected in online communities. Social media posts echo with excitement: “Three Oscars, one director, one eerie story. This could be a masterpiece.” The film also reunites DiCaprio and Lawrence after their first joint appearance in Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up, adding another layer of intrigue for fans of both actors.
Exploring Parenthood and Mortality in a Ghostly Landscape
At its core, What Happens at Night is a meditation on the fragility of life and the desperate hope that drives people to seek family in unlikely places. The couple’s journey to adopt a baby is fraught with uncertainty—emotional, medical, and existential. Lawrence’s character’s struggle with cancer is rendered with subtlety, avoiding melodrama and instead focusing on the quiet vulnerability that illness brings. DiCaprio’s portrayal of a husband gripped by anxiety and devotion is expected to be equally nuanced.
The hotel, with its labyrinthine halls and spectral guests, becomes a metaphor for the mind itself—a place where memories, fears, and desires intermingle. As reality and illusion begin to blur, the couple faces not only the bureaucratic hurdles of adoption but also the psychological challenges of confronting their own mortality and the boundaries of human connection.
It’s a narrative that resonates beyond the confines of a ghost story. The longing for a child, the fear of loss, and the search for meaning in a world that can feel both beautiful and terrifying—these are universal themes, rendered here through the lens of Scorsese’s cinematic artistry.
Release Timeline and Industry Impact
Filming is expected to begin in January 2026, with Apple Original Films and Studiocanal steering the production. While no official release date has been announced, the project is already being hailed as one of the most anticipated films of the decade. The creative pedigree involved—Scorsese’s direction, Marber’s screenplay, DiCaprio and Lawrence’s performances—positions What Happens at Night as a likely contender for critical and commercial acclaim.
For Scorsese, this film continues a period of creative resurgence, following the success of Killers of the Flower Moon on Apple TV+. For Lawrence, it’s a chance to explore new emotional territory, and for DiCaprio, another opportunity to dive deep into the complexities of the human psyche.
As casting for supporting roles gets underway and production gears up, the industry is watching closely. With themes that touch on adoption, illness, identity, and the supernatural, What Happens at Night is poised to spark conversation—and perhaps, reflection—on what it means to seek family, meaning, and connection in a world shadowed by uncertainty.
In bringing together DiCaprio’s brooding intensity and Lawrence’s emotional authenticity under Scorsese’s visionary direction, this film promises not just haunting visuals, but a story that lingers in the mind—reminding us that the search for love and belonging is as mysterious and profound as any ghostly apparition.
Sources: Reuters, Deadline, CBR