The 'Piano' star will play the master magician, who wowed crowds around the world with his death-defying escapes at the beginning of the 20th Century, in a new project for the History Channel, according to Hollywood Reporter.
It will focus on how the American-Hungarian performer overcame an impoverished background to become an international sensation, famed for escaping from handcuffs and straitjackets under water.
'House of Cards' star Kristen Connolly will play Houdini's wife Bess in the four-part series, which will begin filming later this year.
Tony Curtis, Harvey Keitel and Guy Pearce have all played the enigmatic escapologist before.