It was only a matter of time before Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio reunited and the pair have now lined up their next official project, an adaptation of David Grann's best-selling crime thriller "Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI" for Imperative Entertainment. The true-life mystery tale deals with the Osage Indian nation in Oklahoma in the 1920s, who became quite wealthy after oil was discovered beneath their land. Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off and the ensuing spiral of conspiracy, greed and murder got so bad that the FBI had to step in.
Martin Scorsese will direct with Leonardo DiCaprio set to star and Eric Roth (A STAR IS BORN) penning the script. This project has been on Scorsese and DiCaprio's radar for well over a year, so it will be exciting to see them finally get to tackle it. In a statement, Scorsese said, "When I read David Grann’s book, I immediately started seeing it—the people, the settings, the action—and I knew that I had to make it into a movie. I’m so excited to be working with Eric Roth and reuniting with Leo DiCaprio to bring this truly unsettling American story to the screen." Imperative Entertainment executives have apparently met with the Osage Nation and the plan is to begin scouting locations over the next few months with production expected to kick off in the summer of 2019.
A synopsis of "Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI" via Amazon:
In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe. Then, one by one, the Osage began to be killed off. The family of an Osage woman, Mollie Burkhart, became a prime target. One of her relatives was shot. Another was poisoned. And it was just the beginning, as more and more Osage were dying under mysterious circumstances, and many of those who dared to investigate the killings were themselves murdered.
As the death toll rose, the newly created FBI took up the case, and the young director, J. Edgar Hoover, turned to a former Texas Ranger named Tom White to try to unravel the mystery. White put together an undercover team, including a Native American agent who infiltrated the region, and together with the Osage began to expose one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history.
Martin Scorsese is currently in post-production on THE IRISHMAN, the much-anticipated film which Netflix will release next year. As for Leonardo DiCaprio, he's set to finish up shooting on Quentin Tarantino's ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD which is slated for a July 26, 2019 release.