Published May 29, 2026, 11:00 PM EDT
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Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese are collaborating for a whole new movie project that premieres in 2026. Interestingly, though, the movie in question is nothing like the previous films they have worked on. For both, it marks their foray into a significantly different genre, which seemingly makes the upcoming movie even more exciting.
Scorsese and DiCaprio's creative alliance started with 2002's Gangs of New York. Two years later, DiCaprio returned as the leading man in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator. The trend continued in 2006 when DiCaprio was a part of The Departed's star-studded cast. In 2010, Shutter Island became their fourth collaborative effort, although the film received a more divisive response than their previous projects.
The two creative powerhouses did not stop there, and Leonardo DiCaprio went on to star in two more Martin Scorsese movies: The Wolf of Wall Street and Killers of the Flower Moon. Almost three years after their last film together, they have teamed up again for What Happens at Night. The movie is expected to premiere in 2026 and promises to take Scorsese and DiCaprio's careers in a new, interesting direction.
What Happens At Night Will Be Martin Scorsese’s First Pure Horror Movie
Martin Scorsese has never directed a traditional, straight-up horror movie. In some ways, he has dabbled with the genre with movies like Cape Fear and even Shutter Island. Even his 1999 movie, Bringing Out the Dead, had some chilling supernatural elements. However, none of these movies have fully embraced conventional horror tropes even though Scorsese has always been vocal about his love for the genre.
In 2026, however, Scorsese is seemingly coming off the heels of his usual historical and crime-focused epics. He is directing What Happens At Night, which is based on Peter Cameron's gothic horror novel of the same name. Its story follows a couple (Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) who visit an isolated European town to adopt a child.
Their adoption journey soon takes a grim turn when they encounter a set of unusual and suspicious people.
Little seems to be known about how Martin Scorsese will approach the adaptation. However, the movie's cast, which also includes other big names like Mads Mikkelsen, Patricia Clarkson, and Jared Harris, makes it seem incredibly promising. Martin Scorsese's movies are known for getting big nods during award seasons.
Since the horror genre is finally getting the appreciation it deserves in mainstream awards, What Happens At Night will also likely get many nominations in the upcoming awards season if it releases in 2026. Interestingly, even for Leonardo DiCaprio, What Happens At Night seems to mark a major genre shift from his regular movie choices.
Leonardo DiCaprio Has Not Done Horror In Decades
Leonardo DiCaprio made his feature film debut with the 1991 horror movie, Critters 3. Since then, the actor has, for the most part, stayed away from the genre. In his long acting career, he has primarily garnered acclaim for his parts in crime thrillers, biographical epics, and sci-fi flicks. The closest he has come to taking a detour in a horror adjacent territory was in Martin Scorsese's Shutter Island.
However, Shutter Island, too, is more of a psychological thriller than a conventional horror movie.
With What Happens At Night, though, Leonardo DiCaprio will finally give the horror genre another shot. After over three decades, the actor will finally be seen in a genre he has hardly explored. Considering the recent performances of horror movies like The Substance and Sinners at the Oscars, What Happens At Night could become a gateway for DiCaprio to land another Academy Award nomination or even a win.
What Happens At Night does not have an official release date, but its filming schedule suggests it could premiere by Christmas 2026.
While only time will tell how Martin Scorsese's What Happens At Night will perform during the upcoming awards season, it is already one of the most anticipated horror movies. With movies like Hokum, Obsession, and The Backrooms already performing well, 2026 is off to an incredible start for the horror genre.
The upcoming Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese collaboration will likely solidify this momentum by bringing a layer of prestige to the genre.
English (US) ·