Director Martin Scorsese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio are teaming up for a movie adaptation of Erik Larson's 2003 book "The Devil in the White City."

According to a report by BBC, DiCaprio is expected to play serial killer Dr HH Holmes, who used the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago to lure victims to their deaths. It is claimed that Holmes killed 27 people. However, that figure was later revised to 200.

It will be the sixth time DiCaprio has worked with Scorsese. Their previous films include "The Wolf of Wall Street", "The Departed" and "Gangs of New York."

DiCaprio bought the film rights to "The Devil in the White City" in 2010. The book narrates the story of Dr Holmes, who converted a large building in Chicago and turned it into what became known as a "murder castle". It had a padded room with a gas pipe to asphyxiate victims, a chute for dispatching bodies to the cellar and, in the cellar, a hidden butcher's table and oven that had the remains of women's clothing, BBC News said..

The screenplay will be written by Billy Ray, who scripted Captain Phillips and The Hunger Games.

The challenge for DiCaprio in this movie is about "How the charming, upstanding Leo with a history of placating characters portrayed in movies like the "Titanic" be able to transform into a conniving, sinister and murderous Dr. H. H. Holmes? Fans may also ask a more pressing question, "Are audiences comfortable with Caprio in this role?"

Despite the "The Devil in the White City," DiCaprio's played an array of roles ranging from the cute Frank Abagnale, Jr., the mercurial Howard Hughes, and the mostly harmless, terribly handsome and sadly fictional Jay Gatsby,

But Dr. H. H. Holmes is a veritable monster, a man without integrity, and the exact opposite of how Leo is perceived on the silver screen.

Taking into consideration the diverse roles that DiCaprio played, audiences are anticipating a riveting performance from the former "Titanic" frontman.