Killers of the Flower Moon (Martin Scorsese, 2023)

[Big Ben]

Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio will reteam in Killers of the Flower Moon

Killers of the Flower Moon is an excellent book. The murders that occurred in Osage County are perfect material for Scorsese and it hasn't lost any relevance in today's world. It an absolutely chilling text. Can't wait to see what he does with it.

[domino harvey]

If this story sounds familiar, it's one of the focuses of the FBI Story with James Stewart

[flyonthewall2983]

I read an article about them circling around this about a year ago. Seemed like De Niro was attached as well.

[mfunk9786]

LQ's family lives in west Texas so her affinity for that region of the country is sky high, and she is obsessed with this book. This will surely be a day one viewing for our clan as a result

[domino harvey]

My dad told me Scorsese had been seen scouting in Oklahoma lately, Indiewire confirms by digging up Scorsese's Instagram, which is a thing that exists

[mfunk9786]

He's got one of the more charming Instagram accounts in that it's almost identical to any other family man his age's Instagram account except there's no weird patriotism stuff and, well, he's Martin Scorsese

[domino harvey]

Not surprisingly, Robbie Robertson will be doing the score

[mfunk9786]

Per DiCaprio, this starts filming in March.

[Never Cursed]

Scorsese describes the film to Cahiers as his first western, says that most of the roles besides DiCaprio's and De Niro's will be played by Native Americans.

It's so interesting to think about the mentality that leads us to (the murders). The history of civilization goes back to Mesopotamia. The Hittites are invaded by another people, they disappear and later, it is said that they have been assimilated, or rather, absorbed. (…) It is fascinating to see this mentality which is reproduced in other cultures, through two world wars. And which is therefore timeless, I think. Finally, this is the film that we are going to try to make.

[swo17]

Very interesting...

With the current technology it's a simple matter to attach Mr. De Niro's face to Mr. DiCaprio's body and vice versa, an effect so seamlessly achieved that the viewer only gradually realizes it as the deeper thematic implications emerge organically within the story

[cdnchris]

De Niro was cast as Hale according to that, so I guess it's safe to assume some de-aging effects again. The guy was in his late 40s during the investigation.

[yoloswegmaster]

Apparently the budget has reached $225 million

[Finch]

I'd love to know if that figure was arrived at before or after the CGI costs were taken into consideration. Paramount have had a string of flops and if I recall correctly, the only surefire hit they have for this year is the Top Gun sequel. Sonic was by no means guaranteed to make as much money as it has this past week. I'd say Paramount bail and Netflix pick up the cost.

[domino harvey]

Someone pointed out elsewhere that having DiCaprio in the cast is probably as good a guarantee of return as anything: he hasn’t been in a single movie that lost money since Celebrity 22 years ago!

[diamonds]

Scorsese courting Netflix and Apple now that Paramount has balked at the budget. Sad state of affairs.

[Nasir007]

I guess I just can't fathom Hollywood budgets for some reason. Why does this film cost 200 million dollars?

[Reverend Drewcifer]

“While money can't buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery.”
― Groucho Marx

[mfunk9786]

I guess I just can't fathom Hollywood budgets for some reason. Why does this film cost 200 million dollars?

Hollyweird, right? What will these freaks do next?

[hearthesilence]

I didn't realize the budgets of blockbusters had gone up so much, but apparently Marvel movies range from $190 million to close to $400 million now. James Bond films are actually on the low end of that range, hovering around $200 million. So with that in mind, Scorsese's last two films don't seem so "expensive" anymore, relatively speaking.

[domino harvey]

It would be a shame if this never happened, especially since Scorsese put so much time into it already and Oklahomans were all about this movie getting filmed there, but that budget is obscene. Surely there are ways to adjust to a more reasonable amount. I’m also guessing the Oklahoma tax commission will bend over backwards to give out any and all tax incentives they can, so whatever the total ends up being will cost less for whatever studio bites

[Reverend Drewcifer]

Budgets for the last 10 Scorsese narrative films (sourced from Wikipedia, so burp):

• The Irishman: $159–200 million

• Silence: $40–50 million

• The Wolf of Wall Street: $100 million

• Hugo: $150–170 million

• Shutter Island: $80 million

• The Depaaaaahted: $90 million

• The Aviator: $110 million

• Gangs of New York: $100 million

• Bringing Out the Dead: $32 million

• Kundun: $28 million

Pretty clear upward trend on three fronts:

• Passion projects where Scorsese's budget is "all-in," talent forgoes their usual (gigantic) salaries, and no one stands to make a killing at the box office

• Leo-fronted blockbusters that are all but guaranteed to at least recoup the investment or have a healthy RoI

• Whatever the hell line items contributed to an out-of-whack basis of estimate that was all but abandoned as the years dragged on to make The Irishman

However, this budget doubles that of the last Leo movie, and Killers of the Flower Moon doesn't sound like an easy sell, subject matter-wise. So is this a passion project? Is it going to be crazy ambitious epic? Is everyone too famous to reduce their salaries this time out? Did Netflex make a bundle on The Irishman, and if they didn't, were they at least happy with the aura of prestige surrounding that film? How did they do with a similar investment on an "easy-sell" like Six Underground? Will I ever enjoy The Irishman? Questions abound.

[hearthesilence]

• Whatever the hell line items contributed to an out-of-whack basis of estimate that was all but abandoned as the years dragged on to make The Irishman

This happened with Hugo. It was originally budgeted at less than half of the final tally, even when they decided to shoot it in 3D, but they didn't anticipate many of the costs and complications. Had the cost met the planned budget, it would've made a solid profit from box office alone.

[Reverend Drewcifer]

Coincidentally, my day job is tangentially-related to the F-35, truly The Irishman of airframes.

[Ferocious Detritus]

That budget is a ridiculous example of establishment gloat and hubris.

The quality of Scorsese's recent work aside (I only care for Silence & Departed from the above list) what possible justification is there for those costs, other than vanity and indulgence?

Even adjusted for inflation, with that $225 million, you could make No Country for Old Men, There Will be Blood, Tree of Life, One False Move, Lone Star and who knows how many other similarly-themed period films.

This is another example of a millionaire artist spending untold dollars making a "statement" work of art, when the truly righteous thing to do, if they really cared about anything but their ego, would be to simply give that money to the Osage Nation.

[Ferocious Detritus]

By the way, I should clarify:

Even adjusted for inflation, with that $225 million, you could make No Country for Old Men, There Will be Blood, Tree of Life, One False Move, Lone Star

That's combined cost!