8 Upcoming Films Based on Shocking True Crimes

American Made brings the real-life exploits of Barry Seal, a hustler for the drug kingpin Pablo Escobar, to the big screen. The CIA recruits Seal, a former TWA pilot, to run one of the biggest covert operations in American history, much to the chagrin of the Reagan administration. The movie stars Tom Cruise as Barry Seal, Sarah Wright as Lucy Seal, and Domhnall Gleeson as Monty Schafer.

Release date: Sept. 29

In the early '80s, a group of young men formed the "Billionaire Boys Club" in Los Angeles, where they used a Ponzi scheme to get rich quick. Alongside seasoned actors like Kevin Spacey, the upcoming film is replete with emerging young talent — Ansel Elgort (The Fault in Our Stars) plays Joe Hunt, the group leader and financial expert, and Emma Roberts stars as Sydney, Hunt's love interest. Taron Egerton, Billie Lourd, and Suki Waterhouse also star in the film. If you want an early look at the plot, check out the 1987 version, which (disturbingly) inspired the Menendez brothers to murder their parents.

Release date: 2017

Mark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House brings to the big screen the story of FBI agent Mark Felt, who, under the anonymous name "Deep Throat," helped journalists Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the Watergate scandal. Its star-studded cast includes Liam Neeson, Diane Lane, and Jason Bateman.

Release date: Sept. 29

Lizzie Borden is perhaps one of the most well-known women in American crime. As her story goes, she was tried and acquitted for the ax murder of her family in 1892. The upcoming historical thriller Lizzie explores this notorious case through the alleged romance between Borden and her maid, Bridget Sullivan, who are respectively portrayed by Chloë Sevigny and Kristen Stewart.

Release date: 2017

This Martin Scorsese film details the scandalous life of Frank "The Irishman" Sheeran, a mob hitman who was known for his supposed involvement in union leader Jimmy Hoffa's death. The Irishman is based on Charles Brandt's true-crime novel I Heard You Paint Houses, the title of which refers to the first words Hoffa ever said to Sheeran. (The line is a reference to the blood splattered on the wall after a murder.) The film has been acquired by Netflix and will star Robert De Niro, who will get a special CGI treatment to de-age in selected scenes where he plays young Sheeran.

Release date: TBA

Martin Scorsese will also be working on a film adaptation of Erik Larson's popular novel The Devil in the White City. The bestseller chronicles the lives of Daniel H. Burnham, the architect behind the 1893 World's Fair, and Dr. H. H. Holmes, the serial killer who used the fair to lure up to 200 victims to their deaths. Leonardo DiCaprio, who has worked with Scorsese on five past films, will star as the serial killer Holmes.

Release date: TBA

Entering Hades is a film adaptation of John Leake's true-crime novel about Jack Unterweger, a celebrated Austrian journalist who led a dark double life committing heinous crimes against women. Michael Fassbender will star as the prolific author and criminal, and Birdman's Oscar-winning screenwriter Alexander Dinelaris is adapting the story for the big screen.

Release date: TBA

"Stockholm syndrome" has made its way into psychology and popular culture, but not many of us are aware of its origins. The term emerged after a 1973 bank heist and hostage crisis in Stockholm, where hostages bonded with their captors and turned against authorities. The film Stockholm will feature lead performances from Ethan Hawke and Noomi Rapace.

Release date: 2018