MUMBAI: Leonardo DiCaprio is all set to star and co-produce Erik Larson's acclaimed novel The Devil in the White City along with Double Feature principals Michael Shamberg and Stacey Sher. DiCaprio is to play the murder-minded Holmes.

The non-fiction story focuses on the lives of two men who turned the 1893 Chicago World's Fair into their playground.One man, the architect responsible for the fair's construction, in a short period of time was forced to overcome immense obstacles to construct the famous White City while the other was a serial killer masquerading as a charming doctor who is believed to be responsible for scores of murders around the time of the fair.

White City has long captivated Hollywood's top talent, although the period setting always seemed to be a source of problem. At one point, Kathryn Bigelow was to produce and direct while Tom Cruise and Paula Wagner were also developing an adaptation.

Till 2004, Paramount was in possession of the book, when it let the option lapse but then it re-optioned it in 2007 for Double Feature to produce.

The Devil in the White City, that had a shelf-life for three years, has sold 2.3 million copies and has been translated into 17 languages worldwide.