Oscar-Winning ‘Son of Saul’ Director to Helm New Jack the Ripper Historical Thriller

More than a century after the infamous Jack the Ripper murders terrorized Victorian London, the mystery surrounding the unidentified killer continues to inspire filmmakers and storytellers. Now, the case is becoming the focus of a new historical thriller series from László Nemes, the Oscar-winning director of Son of Saul.

Titled Sickert, the upcoming series will explore the life of Walter Sickert, the influential German-British painter and visual artist who has long been the subject of speculation surrounding the Whitechapel murders.

László Nemes Tackles the Jack the Ripper Mystery

The series is being developed by Nemes, whose 2015 Holocaust drama Son of Saul won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

Nemes says his fascination with Jack the Ripper and the dark world of Victorian London goes back to his childhood.

“My fascination for the first modern serial killer and for the mystery of the gothic world of Victorian London dates back to my childhood.”

The filmmaker added that he hopes to create a story that is both personal and epic while immersing modern audiences in a largely unexplored version of Victorian London.

What Is Sickert About?

Set in London in 1888, Sickert takes place as the city is consumed by fear following a series of brutal murders in the Whitechapel district.

The story follows Walter Sickert as he moves between two very different worlds: London’s artistic and upper-class circles and the impoverished communities he becomes fascinated with through his work.

That connection becomes increasingly disturbing when Sickert finds himself drawn into the investigation after becoming a person of interest to Scotland Yard.

As the investigation closes in, Sickert’s grip on reality begins to deteriorate. He starts questioning his own innocence, his identity, and whether he could somehow be connected to the murders.

The series uses Sickert’s controversial connection to the Jack the Ripper mystery as the foundation for a psychological historical thriller.

The Real Jack the Ripper Murders

The Whitechapel murders remain one of history’s most notorious unsolved criminal mysteries.

Five victims are traditionally identified as the “Canonical Five” associated with Jack the Ripper: Mary Ann Nichols, Annie Chapman, Elizabeth Stride, Catherine Eddowes, and Mary Jane Kelly.

All five women lived in or around Whitechapel and were killed during a relatively short period in 1888. Their murders shared similarities, including severe injuries and, in several cases, postmortem mutilation.

However, other killings occurred in the area before and after the murders traditionally attributed to Jack the Ripper, leaving the true number of victims uncertain.

The identity of the killer has also never been conclusively established.

Walter Sickert and the Jack the Ripper Theory

Walter Sickert’s alleged connection to Jack the Ripper has been debated for decades. Although some theories have attempted to link the artist to the murders, there is no conclusive evidence establishing Sickert as Jack the Ripper.

That ambiguity gives Sickert room to explore the psychological possibilities surrounding the artist while placing the audience inside the fear and paranoia of Victorian London.

Jack the Ripper has inspired countless movies, television productions, books, and works of fiction. One of the most celebrated modern interpretations is Alan Moore and Eddie Campbell’s graphic novel From Hell, which was adapted into a 2001 film starring Johnny Depp and Heather Graham.

Sickert does not yet have a release date.

The series could offer a very different take on the Jack the Ripper legend by combining the historical mystery with the troubled life and artistic world of Walter Sickert.