Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence set to star in Martin Scorsese’s ghost story

Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence are teaming up, as per Deadline, for the first time in Martin Scorsese’s upcoming ghostly drama What Happens at Night.

The project marks Scorsese’s 27th feature film and pairs two of Hollywood’s biggest stars in a chilling adaptation of Peter Cameron’s acclaimed novel. For DiCaprio, it’s his seventh time working under Scorsese’s direction, while Lawrence makes her long-awaited debut with the legendary filmmaker.

With Apple Original Films in talks to back the project alongside StudioCanal, the buzz is already reaching a fever pitch. Let’s break it down.

What is What Happens at Night about?

The film adapts Peter Cameron’s haunting 2020 novel, which follows an American couple facing a life-altering journey.

The pair travels to a snowbound European city to adopt a child, while the wife is quietly battling cancer. The story unfolds in a surreal, almost dreamlike atmosphere as they stay in a cavernous hotel filled with bizarre and unsettling characters.

The hotel hosts a cast that includes a washed-up chanteuse, a mysterious faith healer, and a shadowy businessman. It’s less a straightforward horror tale and more a ghostly meditation on mortality, love, and the unknown. That makes it a natural fit for Scorsese, whose work often blurs lines between genre, psychology, and the spiritual.

Why Scorsese chose this project

Scorsese has always gravitated toward stories that mix the human condition with spiritual undercurrents.

From Silence to The Irishman, he’s explored mortality and faith in striking ways. With What Happens at Night, he gets to bring that lens into a ghost story format.

The director reportedly found Cameron’s novel both eerie and deeply moving. The narrative’s ambiguity and surrealism give Scorsese room to experiment visually, while the emotional stakes keep it grounded. It’s being described less as traditional horror and more as a supernatural psychological drama.

Leonardo DiCaprio’s ongoing collaboration with Scorsese

This marks the seventh time DiCaprio and Scorsese will work together.

Their partnership began in 2002 with Gangs of New York and has included landmark films like The Aviator, The Departed, and The Wolf of Wall Street. Most recently, DiCaprio starred in Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), which earned critical acclaim and multiple Oscar nominations.

DiCaprio has become Scorsese’s modern-day muse, much like Robert De Niro was in earlier decades. Fans now expect each collaboration to push DiCaprio into darker, more complex territory, and this film seems tailor-made for that.

Jennifer Lawrence’s first Scorsese film

Jennifer Lawrence has never worked with Scorsese before, making this pairing especially intriguing.

The Oscar-winning actress has proven her range, from intense dramas like Silver Linings Playbook to blockbusters like The Hunger Games.

Lawrence’s involvement suggests her character, the ailing wife, will be central to the story’s emotional weight. It’s a role that could allow her to deliver one of her most nuanced performances yet. Fans are eager to see how Lawrence adapts to Scorsese’s rigorous directing style.

Who’s writing the screenplay?

The adaptation is being penned by acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Patrick Marber.

He’s best known for Closer and his sharp, emotionally charged writing style. Marber’s knack for exploring flawed relationships and moral ambiguity fits perfectly with Cameron’s unsettling story.

With Scorsese directing and Marber writing, the project has all the ingredients for a haunting, layered narrative. This isn’t just a star-driven vehicle; it’s a serious artistic collaboration.

Production details so far

Apple Original Films is reportedly in negotiations to produce the project alongside StudioCanal.

Apple has become a significant player in the prestige film market, backing projects like Killers of the Flower Moon. StudioCanal, meanwhile, brings decades of European filmmaking muscle.

Reports suggest that production could begin in early 2026. While no release date has been finalized, industry chatter hints that the film might be positioned for awards season. The combination of Scorsese, DiCaprio, and Lawrence makes it a guaranteed high-profile release.

A ghost story, but not traditional horror

Though labeled a “ghost story,” the film won’t likely follow classic horror conventions.

Cameron’s novel leans into dream logic, where settings and characters feel both familiar and deeply strange.

Instead of jump scares, audiences can expect creeping unease, emotional tension, and themes of death and rebirth. Think less The Conjuring and more The Shining, with an arthouse twist. That approach aligns with Scorsese’s style, where atmosphere and psychology carry more weight than spectacle.

The role of setting

The snowy, isolated European city in the story becomes almost a character in itself.

Scorsese is known for using location to amplify mood, from New York’s grit in Taxi Driver to the frontier landscapes in Killers of the Flower Moon.

A cold, ghostly European backdrop will give him room to experiment with shadow, silence, and stark visuals. Viewers can expect cinematography that heightens the surreal, dreamlike quality of the source material.

Audience expectations

Fans are already buzzing about the pairing of DiCaprio and Lawrence under Scorsese’s direction.

Both actors bring star power, but also credibility, making this a prestige project with mass appeal.

For audiences who loved Scorsese’s epics but crave something different, What Happens at Night promises a fresh direction. It’s a chance to see Scorsese tackle the supernatural while still delivering his trademark depth.

Could this be awards season gold?

With Scorsese, DiCaprio, and Lawrence attached, Oscar chatter is inevitable.

The trio brings together multiple Academy Award winners and nominees.

If the adaptation remains faithful to the novel’s eerie emotional beats, it could hit the sweet spot between arthouse horror and awards-friendly drama. It’s shaping up to be one of the most anticipated films of the coming years.

TL;DR

• Martin Scorsese is directing What Happens at Night, based on Peter Cameron’s novel.
• Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence will star, marking their first project together.
• This is DiCaprio’s seventh Scorsese film and Lawrence’s first.
• Patrick Marber is writing the screenplay.
• Apple Original Films and StudioCanal are in talks to produce, with filming likely starting in 2026.
• Expect a surreal, ghostly psychological drama, not a traditional horror film.

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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.