Highlights:
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Martin Scorsese to direct What Happens at Night, adapted from Peter Cameron’s novel.
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Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence confirmed as leads.
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Apple Original Films and Studiocanal will produce.
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Patrick Marber will write the screenplay.
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Story centers on a couple’s troubled adoption journey in a remote European city.
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Marks another Scorsese–DiCaprio collaboration and his first time directing Lawrence.
Martin Scorsese will direct the film adaptation of Peter Cameron’s novel What Happens at Night. Apple Original Films and Studiocanal are producing the project, which will star Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence as an American couple who travel to a remote European city to adopt a child.
Martin Scorsese to direct the adaptation
Martin Scorsese is attached as director of the film version of What Happens at Night. The screenplay is being adapted by Patrick Marber, who was an Academy Award nominee for Notes on a Scandal. Studiocanal acquired the rights to Peter Cameron’s novel last year, and Apple Original Films is co-producing alongside Studiocanal. The production is positioned as a prestige project for the companies involved, continuing Apple’s ongoing collaborations with Scorsese and DiCaprio.
Martin Scorsese reunites with Leonardo DiCaprio and casts Jennifer Lawrence
Martin Scorsese will reunite with Leonardo DiCaprio on this project. DiCaprio has worked with Scorsese on several films, including The Departed and Killers of the Flower Moon. Jennifer Lawrence joins the cast opposite DiCaprio; this will be her first time being directed by Scorsese. Scorsese did serve as a producer on Lawrence’s upcoming film Die My Love. DiCaprio and Lawrence previously appeared together in the satirical film Don’t Look Up.
The story and tone of What Happens at Night
The film follows an American couple who travel to an isolated, frigid European city with the intention of adopting a baby. The wife is seriously ill with cancer, and her deteriorating health threatens to derail the adoption. The couple checks into a large, nearly deserted hotel. The town and the hotel are populated by odd and ambiguous figures, including a flamboyant singer, a shady businessman, and a faith healer. As the adoption process unfolds, the couple finds the situation increasingly unsettling and begins to question their surroundings and their marriage.
Martin Scorsese, production details and creative team
Martin Scorsese’s involvement anchors the project for the production companies and talent attached. Patrick Marber is adapting the novel for the screen. Apple Original Films and Studiocanal are officially backing the project, with Studiocanal having secured the book rights in the previous year. The setup mirrors other high-profile, auteur-led projects that attract established actors and major studio support.
Where the cast and crew are now
Neither lead actor is idle between projects. Leonardo DiCaprio is receiving attention for his role in Paul Thomas Anderson’s new drama One Battle After Another. Jennifer Lawrence’s performance in Die My Love, which Scorsese produced, has generated strong critical response following its debut at Cannes, and has prompted early awards conversation. Their commitments to What Happens at Night indicate both actors’ interest in working with Scorsese and in projects that combine dramatic intensity with festival and awards prospects.
Why the collaboration matters
Martin Scorsese’s collaborations with Leonardo DiCaprio have been notable in recent years, and adding Jennifer Lawrence positions the film as a high-profile meeting of talent. The pairing of DiCaprio and Lawrence, who showed screen chemistry in Don’t Look Up, under Scorsese’s direction suggests the project aims for both emotional weight and rigorous filmmaking. The involvement of Apple Original Films and Studiocanal signals significant studio support and a likely push toward awards-season visibility.
What to expect next
With Scorsese directing and Marber writing the screenplay, the project moves into development under established creative leadership. Casting of the lead roles is confirmed, and production backing is in place. Further production and release details, including shooting schedule and release window, have not been announced. Given the current slate of projects for the principal actors, scheduling will be a factor as the film moves toward production.
