As Netflix continues its rise to global dominance, it appears deals are close to finalization for the streaming king to acquire the rights to one of the most anticipated dramas of the last decade – Martin Scorsese’s THE IRISHMAN. The movie that reunites Robert De Niro and the famed director has been gestating for about a decade, and now looks like it will find its final home.
Indiewire got the original scoop that after Brad Grey exited as president of Paramount (the studio that has the domestic distribution rights) Scorsese is looking to take his movie somewhere else – namely Netlfix. A source has said that Scorsese’s movie is a big financial risk, and seeing as how Paramount isn't looking to take such a large gamble Scorsese wants to take it somewhere he can make the movie he wants.
However, Deadline is also reporting that negotiations were still going on as of Tuesday night, and word is Paramount still owns the rights as deals have yet to close. One of the original financiers, Fabrica de Cine (who financed Scorsese's SILENCE), sold the foreign distribution rights at Cannes to the tune of $50 million to STX, reportedly because the $100-$150 million Scorsese wanted for the visual effects to make his actors look younger was too much to feel comfortable with. That being said, Netflix wants complete, global distribution rights, so a deal with them would involve not only getting rights from Paramount, but STX as well.
Still, word is that negotiations will most likely end up in Netflix’s favor, and the company aims to release the film in 2019 across its streaming service, and in limited theaters for an Oscar-qualifying run, with actors Al Pacino and Joe Pesci still in talks to join the cast. Whew. Business business business. This is what Warren Buffet does all day? No thank you.
Netflix would make a great home for the movie, given their lack of restrictions in letting artists have complete control. But I don’t care where the movie ends up, just as long as we can finally see the damn thing. Though I’m not sure how the visual de-aging of the actors will look, but the reunion of Scorsese and De Niro is too juicy to pass up. That, and it's nice to see that Pesci is still breathing.