After announcing that their crime drama THE IRISHMAN will open this year's New York Film Festival on September 27, it's been reported that Robert De Niro is in negotiations to reteam with Martin Scorsese once again for KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON.
Should De Niro sign on the dotted line, it means that he'll be acting alongside Leonardo DiCaprio for the upcoming project, which is based on the non-fiction novel of the same name by author David Grann. In the 2017 true crime book published by Doubleday, Grann recounts the story of multiple murders of members of the Osage Indian tribe in 1920s Oklahoma that occurred after they found oil on their lands. (via Deadline)
According to reports, a deal for De Niro to star is almost complete, with schedules and final buget-related matters being sorted as you read this. Should everything go according to plan, the film will likely move into production by the middle of next year.
Up next for Scorsese is his Netflix-bound mob drama THE IRISHMAN. Directed by Scorsese and penned by Stephen Zallian (MONEYBALL, SCHINDLER'S LIST), THE IRISHMAN is an adaptation of Charles Brandt's nonfiction novel I Heard You Paint Houses. The film tells the shifty story of Frank Sheeran, who admitted to killing 25 men for the mob, including his friend, the Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa. Joe Pesci plays Pennsylvania mob boss Russell Bufalino in the film (who according to Sheeran’s testimony ordered the hit). Al Pacino stars as Jimmy Hoffa, while De Niro is set to portray Sheeran.
THE IRISHMAN reportedly cost upward of $125 million to produce, and will go to theaters before arriving on Netflix. Moreover, because the film will play in cinemas, it allows for Scorsese's latest to become a major awards contender.