Master filmmaker Martin Scorsese has been in the news quite a bit over the last few months. His comments regarding Marvel films launched a thousand think pieces and his latest film, THE IRISHMAN, is already garnering a ton of Oscar buzz. Led by impressive performances from Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, and Joe Pesci, the film is a solemn reflection on life in organized crime and an eloquent elegy about legacy and growing old. Not one to rest on his laurels, the seventy-seven year old director is already busy at work on his next project, which begins filming sooner than expected.
Scorsese's next film will be KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON and is expected to start shooting in March 2020. Frequent Scorsese cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, SILENCE) has been doing some preliminary camera tests in Bartlesville, Oklahoma and recently revealed in a interview that, as of now, filming will commence in the spring. However, Prieto was quick to point out that they were still figuring out the tone of the film, so it's possible principal photography could be pushed back.
KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON is based on the non-fiction work of the same name by author David Grann. The book "tells the true story of the mysterious murders of the Osage Indians tribe in Oklahoma, where oil sat beneath their land. The case was one of the first ever to be taken on by the FBI, who fought against corruption to solve the grisly mystery." Scorsese has been eyeing the project since 2017 and the film just received financing and distribution from Paramount Pictures this past June. Eric Roth (THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON) is currently writing the script.
While there's been no official casting news as of yet, reports claim that actors Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio are both circling the project. If so, this would mark the first time De Niro and DiCaprio have appeared in a movie together since 1996's MARVIN'S ROOM. The pair also starred in 1993's THIS BOY'S LIFE. Even if De Niro passes, it's probably a safe bet DiCaprio will not. Leonardo DiCaprio recently backed out of Guillermo Del Toro's upcoming NIGHTMARE ALLEY because that film starts shooting at the exact same time as KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON. If DiCaprio does in fact sign on, this would mark Scorsese and his sixth collaboration.
In the meantime you can check out Scorsese's THE IRISHMAN currently streaming on Netflix. DiCaprio can also be seen in Quentin Tarantino's ONCE UPON A TIME…IN HOLLYWOOD available on Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K December 10.