Scorsese’s latest acclaimed film, Killers of the Flower Moon, is an Apple Films Original that was slated to premiere on the AppleTV+ streaming service. Paramount and Apple knew they had something special and struck a deal to give the movie a true theatrical run first back in October. The film was even able to capitalize on being shown on premium screens, including IMAX theaters. The theatrical run would also carry certain controversy with its grand running time, and some theaters would incorporate an unapproved intermission with their screenings. The film is now available on digital on-demand, but Apple has announced the streaming date for the Leonardo DiCaprio film. Killers of the Flower Moon is set to premiere on AppleTV+ on January 12.
Former Scorsese collaborator Paul Schrader recently commented that, while he supports his director friend’s film, he would have had the narrative focus on another character, in which he would rather have DiCaprio play. Schrader stated, “Marty compares me to a Flemish miniaturist. He would be more the type who paints Renaissance frescoes.” He then added, “Give him $200 million, a good film will inevitably come out of it. That said, I would have preferred Leonardo DiCaprio to play the role of the cop in Killers of the Flower Moon rather than the role of the idiot. Spending three-and-a-half hours in the company of an idiot is a long time.”
Broadly hailed as a “masterpiece” and one of the best films of the year, Killers of the Flower Moon has been honored as the Best Film of the Year by the National Board of Review, received 12 Critics Choice Award nominations and 7 Golden Globe Award nominations, as well as being named to the American Film Institute’s list of Motion Pictures of the Year. The film has also landed on the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Oscars shortlists in the Best Makeup and Hair, Best Sound, Best Original Score and Best Original Song categories and selected as the No. 1 Best Film of 2023 by The New York Times and The New Yorker, in addition to its recognition by over 20 critics groups globally, including being awarded Best Film by the New York Film Critics Circle. This evening, Killers of the Flower Moon is set to be honored with the Vanguard Award at the Palm Springs International Film Festival Film Awards gala.