Leonardo DiCaprio Teases Vertigo as the Blueprint for Martin Scorsese's Next Movie

Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio are lining up something chilly and strange next, and Leo says the guiding light here is pure Hitchcock. The project is an adaptation of Peter Cameron's novel 'What Happens at Night,' with DiCaprio starring opposite Jennifer Lawrence. Think icy, dream-logic thriller where the ground never stops shifting under your feet.

Leo name-drops 'Vertigo' as the vibe check

On The Big Picture podcast, DiCaprio said he is working on a film that uses Alfred Hitchcock's 'Vertigo' as a reference point. He never actually said the title, but given the timing and the eerie plot, all signs point to 'What Happens at Night.'

'Had a conversation with Marty [Scorsese] about it. Any time you get to sit and talk with him about movies, it's a religious experience. But when he talks about a movie he's still trying to figure out, it's like, "Each decade that movie means something different to me. Is she a ghost, or is she not a ghost? Is she there? Is he a ghost? What is it?" So I rewatched it, and I knew the exact moments in the redwoods that he was talking about. I was like that's the moment that Marty felt that. So yeah, there's something we're working on that has been a reference to that.'

The story Scorsese is circling

Cameron's book follows an American couple who trek to a small, snow-buried European town to adopt a baby, only to slip into a reality that keeps getting slipperier. They hole up in a massive, mostly empty hotel and meet an unnerving lineup of locals: a larger-than-life cabaret singer, a sleazy businessman, and a magnetic faith healer. The deeper they get into the adoption, the less certain they are about who they are and what their marriage actually is. If you are hearing echoes of 'The Shining' and Scorsese's own 'Shutter Island,' you are not wrong.

Quick context on 'Vertigo'

Beyond being top-tier Hitchcock and an all-timer in movie history, 'Vertigo' is having a moment. Separate from Scorsese using it as a touchstone, there has been a straight-up remake developing for years with Robert Downey Jr. tentatively attached to star. Steven Knight (Peaky Blinders) is writing that script and, as of a few months back, was still at it. Inside baseball, but relevant: if Scorsese is invoking 'Vertigo' while a new version is also brewing, you can bet everyone will be watching those choices closely.

What we know so far

• Director: Martin Scorsese is setting up his next feature, based on Peter Cameron's novel 'What Happens at Night.'
• Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence are attached to lead.
• Tone and influences: DiCaprio says 'Vertigo' is a reference point; expect a dreamlike, psychological thriller vibe with shades of 'The Shining' and 'Shutter Island.'
• Plot basics: An American couple travels to a small, snowy European town to adopt a baby; they stay in a cavernous, nearly deserted hotel and encounter a flashy nightclub singer, a depraved businessman, and a charismatic faith healer; reality blurs as they try to finalize the adoption.
• Podcast breadcrumb: DiCaprio teased the 'Vertigo' influence on The Big Picture and talked about revisiting the redwoods scenes that Scorsese keeps returning to.
• Extra context: A separate 'Vertigo' remake has been in development for over three years with Robert Downey Jr. attached and Steven Knight scripting.

No production start or release date yet, but if Scorsese is actively workshopping 'Vertigo' moments with DiCaprio, the compass is set: obsession, doubles, possibly ghosts, definitely vibes.