Cruise and DiCaprio vie for screen victims

Tom Cruise and Leonardo DiCaprio are in a race to be first to the screen with the true story of a murderer who stalked his prey at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.

Both stars have asked their production companies to develop projects based on the story of HH Holmes, a charming doctor who lured his young women victims to a hotel he built not far from the fairgrounds of the vast event, reports Daily Variety.

Both Cruise and DiCaprio also intend to star in the films.

Cruise has optioned the rights to The Devil In The White City, Erik Larson's best-selling book about the case, while DiCaprio is developing the story of Holmes and the Pinkerton detective who tracked him from historical documents and available material.

Holmes, who claimed to have killed 27 people, was arrested and hanged in 1896.