(L to R) Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in ‘Little Fockers’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Preview:
A new entry in the ‘Meet the Parents’ franchise is in the works.
Ben Stiller, Robert De Niro, Teri Polo and Blythe Danner are in talks to return.
John Hamburg is writing the script.
Of all the film franchises that have made a return of late, we’re not sure that we had ‘Meet the Parents’ on our bingo card.
Yet here we go… Deadline brings word that Universal Pictures is putting the pieces together for a fourth movie based on the reliable comedy concept of awkward encounters between future in-laws.
What’s the story of the ‘Meet the Parents’ movies?
(L to R) Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller in ‘Meet the Parents’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
The idea for the ‘Parents’ franchise actually originated years before Ben Stiller accidentally knocked an urn full of ashes from a mantle or milking a cat was ever discussed.
Greg Glienna and Mary Ruth Clarke created and co-wrote an independent film, also titled ‘Meet the Parents,’ back in 1992.
Glienna directed, wrote two original songs, and starred as protagonist Greg: a Chicago advertising agent who travels with his fiancée Pam Burns to meet her parents, Irv and Kay, over a weekend but sets off a series of accidents and causes the family to fall apart.
After Pam’s sister Fay commits suicide, framing Greg in the process, Irv attempts to shoot him but accidentally kills Kay and Pam before dying of a heart attack. So… yes, a little darker even than what followed.
Sensing some potential (albeit with less murder/suicide), Universal bought the rights to the indie movie. The studio hired screenwriter Jim Herzfeld to expand the script and tone down some of the sharper edges, which led to what we all now know as ‘Meet the Parents’ in 2000.
Jay Roach directed that film, with John Hamburg re-writing the script. It stars Stiller as Gaylord “Greg” Focker, a male nurse who is looking to propose to his girlfriend, Pam (Polo). Upon learning that Pam’s sister’s fiancé sought her father’s permission to marry, Greg sees an opportunity when they travel to her parents for the wedding.
As it turns out, Pam’s father is the stern, authoritative Jack Byrnes (De Niro), who claims to have been a florist in his career but is in fact a retired CIA counterintelligence officer. And not quite as retired as he claims. Chaos ensues, including the aforementioned urn destruction, injuries and bad behavior from Jack’s beloved cat Mr. Jinx.
(L to R) Blythe Danner and Robert De Niro in ‘Little Fockers’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Danner played Dina, Jack’s wife who is much less stress-inducing than him, but still less easygoing than Greg’s family. Yet despite all the madness, Greg does manage to convince Jack he’s worthy of Pam and ends up engaged.
That film was a critical and commercial success, grossing $166.2 million domestically and a total of $330.4 million worldwide.
A sequel was greenlit, with Roach returning to direct and Herzfeld and Hamburg once more writing. In 2004’s ‘Meet the Fockers,’ Greg and Pam decide to have Jack and Dina meet his parents.
The eccentric, fun-loving and free-spirited couple are, Bernie Focker (Dustin Hoffman), a lawyer-turned-stay-at-home-dad, and Roz (Barbra Streisand), a sex therapist for elderly couples. While Dina bonds with the Fockers, cracks form between Jack and the Fockers due to their contrasting personalities and backgrounds.
There’s also the small matter of Greg potentially having fathered a child as a teenager with the Focker family house-keeping and renewed tension with Jack. Yet it all works out happily and Greg and Pam marry at the end.
‘Meet the Fockers’ was an even bigger hit, earning more than $279 million domestically and more than $522 million worldwide.
The world had to wait until 2010 for the third entry, ‘Little Fockers,’ which saw Hamburg back writing, this time alongside Larry Stuckey. Paul Weitz took over directing chores.
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‘Little Fockers,’ which finds Greg and Pam preparing to celebrate the fifth birthday of their twins Samantha and Henry.
However, things seem to go awry for Greg when his in-laws, Jack and Dina Byrnes, visit them, and Jack announces he is looking for his successor as the head of the Byrnes family. Jack’s family has been hit by his daughter’s (Pam’s sister) divorce and more disruption, plus some health issues.
Yet more madness follows, though it ends well for both men, even if Greg’s parents announce they’re moving to Chicago to be closer to him and Pam.
This third film was critically panned and not as successful as the previous two entries, ending up with a worldwide total of $310.7 million.
As for what might happen in a future entry? We predict tension, slapstick and chances for family bonding. There’s a chance that Hoffman and Streisand could return as Greg’s parents.
But the big question on everyone’s lips is… will Mr. Jinx the cat also come back? We hear he has a fairly feral manager.
When will the new ‘Meet the Parents’ movie hit theaters?
With the movie still lacking a director and since the cast isn’t yet locked in, Universal hasn’t set a release date for the film. We can’t imagine it arriving much before 2026, though.
(L to R) Robert De Niro and Ben Stiller in ‘Little Fockers’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
List of Movies in the ‘Meet the Parents’ Franchise:
The first pictures of Robert De Niro in ‘Zero Day’ have arrived.
He’s playing a former President who must investigate a cyber-attack.
Eric Newman and Noah Oppenheim created the show, with Lesli Linka Glatter directing.
While movie icon Robert De Niro has certainly guested on his fair share of TV series (‘30 Rock,’ ‘Extras’) and more recently had a bigger role in Argentinian miniseries ‘Nada,’ he’s better known for producing a variety of shows.
But with ‘Zero Day,’ a new Netflix thriller series, he’s stepping up to star in his first Stateside show, agreeing to both lead and serve as an executive producer on the show.
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Created by Eric Newman (who has produced a metric ton of movies and shows and worked on the likes of ‘Griselda’ and the ‘Narcos’ series for Netflix), Noah Oppenheim (who swapped a career in TV news to work on shows and movies) and Pulitzer Prize winner Michael S. Schmidt, it tracks the aftermath of a devastating attack on the United States, and the man leading the investigation into what was really behind it.
Here’s what Newman told Netflix’s Tudum sight about the collaboration with the acting legend that is De Niro:
“As a lifelong fan of American cinema, no actor looms larger for me than Robert De Niro. To have him as a producing partner and star in this show is beyond our wildest dreams. I’m grateful to Netflix for their continued faith and support and thrilled to be in business with the amazing creative team of Noah, Lesli, and Jonathan [Glickman] on this timely (and terrifying) series.”
The new series follows respected former U.S. President George Mullen (De Niro), who, as head of the Zero Day Commission, is charged with finding the perpetrators of a devastating cyber-attack that has caused chaos around the country and thousands of fatalities.
As disinformation runs rampant and the personal ambition of power brokers in technology, Wall Street, and government collide, Mullen’s unwavering search for the truth forces him to confront his own dark secrets while risking all he holds dear.
Lest you think he’s just picking up a paycheck on this one, De Niro was, according to Newman, truly involved:
“De Niro very much became our partner in this process — very hands-on, very involved, read everything at every stage, and it’s been an incredible honor and privilege. You can count on one hand the actors and actresses in history who bring this level of gravitas, pedigree, and talent to their work.”
Angela Bassett is President Evelyn Mitchell, the current president of the United States. Mitchell is a brilliant and perceptive political tactician who hires Mullen to take on an unprecedented role in American history.
Jesse Plemons is Roger Carlson, George Mullen’s former aide. Roger is now a trusted fixer and an unabashed hustler who’s seeking a return to the national stage alongside Mullen.
Lizzy Caplan is Alexandra Mullen, a young congresswoman from New York who’s worked hard to distance herself from her father’s political legacy and establish herself in her own right.
Connie Britton is Valerie Whitesell, a savvy, intelligent political operative and Mullen’s former chief of staff who returns to public life to oversee Mullen’s new role back in the spotlight.
Joan Allen is Sheila Mullen, former first lady and nominee to the federal bench. Elegant and always poised, Sheila is a supportive and present wife and mother with strong professional ambitions of her own — and she’s nobody’s fool.
Matthew Modine is Richard Dreyer, a confident, colorful public figure. As the speaker of the house, he’s an adept politician.
Bill Camp is CIA Director Jeremy Lasch, the ultimate insider who seems to know everyone’s secret. He can either be a dangerous enemy or a valuable friend to Mullen and everyone in his circle.
Dan Stevens is Evan Green, the charismatic, calculating, and divisive host of a wildly popular political TV show who becomes a thorn in George Mullen’s side as his loudest critic and chief public antagonist.
Gaby Hoffmann is Monica Kidder, a controversial Silicon Valley billionaire whose brilliant vision and technological domination has the power to help or hinder Mullen’s investigation.
Clark Gregg is Robert Lyndon, a corporate raider, provocateur, and billionaire who has mastered the dark arts of political manipulation.
Mark Ivanir is Natan, an intelligence operative and Mullen confidant from an era when intelligence — and trust — still mattered.
When will ‘Zero Day’ be on screens?
Netflix will launch all six hour-long episodes of the show on February 20th next year.
(Left) Javier Bardem stars as Hector P. Valenti in Columbia Pictures ‘Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.’ (Right) 1991’s ‘Cape Fear’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Preview:
Javier Bardem will star in and produce a new ‘Cape Fear’ series for Apple TV+
Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg are executive producers.
Nick Antosca is running the show.
Fun movie fact: back in the late 1980s, directors Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg were developing movies that would become memorable for them both. But here’s the twist… the movies were ‘Cape Fear’ and ‘Schindler’s List,’ and Spielberg was interested in the former, while Scorsese was figuring out the latter.
One quick switch later and 1991 brought us ‘Cape Fear,’ Scorsese’s take on the 1957 John D. MacDonald book ‘The Executioners.’ In 1993, Spielberg brought us ‘Schindler’s List’ to Oscar-winning effect.
Now, both filmmakers are involved with a new take on the former project, as Apple TV+ has flashed the greenlight for a series adaptation of the novel, with Javier Bardem aboard, according to Deadline.
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What’s the story of ‘Cape Fear’?
(L to R) Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte in 1991’s ‘Cape Fear’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
MacDonald’s book has been adapted before –– a 1962 film, which also changed the name to ‘Cape Fear,’ and was directed by J. Lee Thompson from storyboards devised by original director Alfred Hitchcock.
For the TV series, described as “a tense, Hitchcockian thriller and an examination of America’s obsession with true crime in the 21st century,” a storm is coming for happily married attorneys Amanda and Steve Bowden when Max Cady (Bardem), a notorious killer from their past, gets out of prison.”
Anyone who has seen ‘No Country for Old Men’ or even ‘Skyfall’ knows that Bardem can play a memorable, dangerous villain.
The new show will be run by Nick Antosca, who credits include ‘The Act,’ ‘Antlers,’ ‘Candy,’ and most recently, overseeing the ‘Chucky’ small screen series.
Apple has been developing the show for a while, but even with Scorsese and Spielberg’s backing, the show hasn’t been official until Bardem signed on to play Cady.
And the actor will also be seen in next year’s big Apple movie, ‘F1’ alongside Brad Pitt. That film is scheduled to arrive on June 25th.
When will the ‘Cape Fear’ TV series be on screens?
Apple has only just greenlit the show thanks to the addition to Bardem, so release details are a ways off for now.
Robert De Niro in 1991’s ‘Cape Fear’. Photo: Universal Pictures.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Bobby Cannavale about his work on ‘Ezra’, his first reaction to the screenplay, his character, working with William Fitzgerald and playing a stand-up comic on screen.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Cannavale, Rose Byrne and director Tony Goldwyn.
(L to R) William A. Fitzgerald and Bobby Cannavale in Bleecker Street’s ‘Ezra’. Credit: Bleecker Street.
Moviefone: To begin with, what was your first reaction to the screenplay and what were some of the aspects of this character that you were excited to explore on screen?
Bobby Cannavale: I loved the script. First, it was sent to me by Tony Goldwyn, who I’ve been friends with for a while. We’d been wanting to do something together. He gave me the whole backstory of (screenwriter) Tony Spiridakis being his best friend, and how he has an autistic son. So, I knew that going in, reading the script, and it did add a weight to it. I just thought it was well-crafted, well written, and I was just very moved by it. I still get moved thinking about the actual first time that I read that script. I was really taken aback by it. I have three sons of my own and that feeling of going to the bat for your child and doing whatever it takes to get them to be seen the way they need to be seen, is something that’s intimate for me. So, I was excited to take on the role. I liked the idea of playing somebody that was so reactive and how I could make that character yet still have some kind of empathic quality to him. Sometimes, that’s hard to accomplish, somebody who is that reactive and at times violent, for instance. But if his heart is in the right place and he’s doing it for the right reasons, sometimes you can get people on board with that. I thought that would be an interesting problem to solve and so I did. I just enjoyed it, and I enjoyed the idea of finding a neurodiverse actor to work with. We looked for a long time. We saw so many kids. I really appreciated that experience and getting to know William and his family and the journey that they’re on.
Bobby Cannavale in Bleecker Street’s ‘Ezra’. Credit: Bleecker Street.
MF: Finally, can you talk about your approach to portraying a stand-up comedian in this film? Did you go to any comedy clubs and get on stage to get a feel for it?
BC: I didn’t go up on stage. I’ve got a lot of stand-up comedian friends. For some reason, I just have a lot of comic friends. I have for many years, some very well-known, others not. So, I’ve spent a lot of time in comedy clubs. But more to the point, I’ve spent a lot of time with these guys and some women. What’s always fascinating to me, it’s not so much the joke, it’s the process of them coming up with their material. I’ve been in a car with stand-ups who have the yellow legal pad there, and I’m looking at it. I’m like, “What’s this joke?” I’ve had comics say to me, “I’m not really going for the joke tonight. I just want to sort of play around in that neighborhood and see what kind of a reaction it gets.” I find that fascinating, the putting together of an act. This guy is clearly going through something on stage, the only place where he could really be himself and really speak plainly and speak his mind. There’s that scene. We have a scene with the other comics where they’re saying, “The point of comedy is to be funny.” And he says, “I’m not doing that. I’m telling stories up there.” That resonated very much with me because I do know comics who work like that. I’ve gone to see comics who are very funny, not be funny because they’re looking for something. I thought that’s something that was very attractive to me, to see somebody in process, trying to put this act together while at the same time trying to work out whatever demons he was trying to work through.
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What is the plot of ‘Ezra’?
Max Brandel (Bobby Cannavale), a stand-up comedian living with his father, Stan (Robert De Niro), struggles to co-parent his autistic son Ezra (William Fitzgerald) with his ex-wife, Jenna (Rose Byrne). When faced with difficult decisions about their son’s future, Max and Ezra set out on a cross-country road trip.
Who is in the cast of ‘Ezra’?
Bobby Cannavale as Max Brandel
Robert De Niro as Stan
Rose Byrne as Jenna
William Fitzgerald as Ezra
Vera Farmiga as Grace
Whoopi Goldberg as Jayne
Rainn Wilson as Nick
Tony Goldwyn as Bruce
(L to R) Robert De Niro, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, and William A. Fitzgerald in Bleecker Street’s ‘Ezra’. Credit: Bleecker Street.
Jon Voight as Byrne in ‘The Painter.’ Photo: Republic Pictures.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with Academy Award winner Jon Voight about his work on ‘The Painter,’ why he wanted to be part of the project, his approach to his character, working with Charlie Weber and Madison Baily, and collaborating with director Kimani Ray Smith on set, as well as looking back at his work on Michael Mann’s modern classic ‘Heat’ and the possibility of him appearing in the upcoming sequel.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with both Voight and Charlie Weber.
Jon Voight stars in ‘The Painter.’
Moviefone: To begin with, can you talk about your first reaction to the screenplay and specifically what you are looking for when you are choosing projects?
Jon Voight: Well, I must consider that this is what I look like now. I’ve gotten older, and so I’m limited in some way to those characters, but they usually give me something that has some gravitas. They think that that’s what I am. It depends on the character for me. But the thing that I look for is a good story, a good tale, a beginning, middle, and end that I think is fun for people to go through. So, they have something at the end of the piece that they feel they’ve spent their time wisely and they’ve been thrilled or excited or moved or whatever it is during it. So that’s the number one. It was a good tale and very interesting with its twists and turns, and it gives the audiences a lot of fun, I think, in the process, and that’s why I did it.
MF: How would you describe your character, Byrne, and your approach to playing him?
JV: Well, he’s a guy who was a very high up in the CIA and has kind of retired as we see him. But during his time, he kind of adopted a kid who went through a very dangerous time, and he raised him. That’s the role of the Painter. “The Painter” has two meanings in this piece. One is as a painter because his pastime is painting, and he tries to get away from the dangers of the CIA aspect of his life. Then on the other hand, he is an artist around actual violence and all of that. So, he’s an amazing master of his talent and grade. So, we want him to get back into it because we know he’s okay. If he’s so great, let’s see. We see it and we see how amazing he is. Charlie did a great job with it. Just an amazing job.
Charlie Weber as Peter in ‘The Painter.’ Photo: Republic Pictures.
MF: What was your experience like working with Charlie Weber?
JV: Well, Charlie and I, we got to know each other during this piece. I didn’t know Charlie before that. Of course, Charlie’s a very affable good guy and very talented. The guys who have these series, they’re real pros. Anyone who’s in a series for a long time and develops a character that audiences like, they’re real. So, I knew he was going to be professional and gifted, and all of that. Then I didn’t know whether he’d be able to fulfill the demands of the action because you don’t know that. You don’t know how athletic somebody is, and he’s extraordinarily athletic. He really is wonderful. So, working with Kimani, who was the director and was a stunt coordinator, they came up with some amazing stuff and very detailed and difficult stuff, and he was great at that. He learned it down to every detail. That’s of course, very important because if you miss a movement in a series of movements and people are throwing punches at you and different kinds of things, you’re supposed to respond to certain things, and boy, you can get hurt. So, you must be very good at that, and he just happens to be very good at that.
MF: Can you talk about the complex relationship your two characters have together and creating that with Charlie?
JV: Well, that came very naturally to us. For whatever reason, he had a great respect for me, and I had an affection for him. So, we kind of fell into that. That’s what happens in a film. You read the script and you’re preparing yourself, and then you meet the other character and you’re naturally falling into that relationship. You’re pressing those buttons. So, it wasn’t difficult for me to believe the things we had to go through together.
Madison Bailey as Sophia in ‘The Painter.’ Photo: Republic Pictures.
MF: Did you have a similar experience working with Madison Bailey?
JV: Well, I had heard a lot about Madison, all very positive, glowing reports of her talent and her person. When I met her, that’s what I felt immediately, and that’s what I was primed to feel too. But she’s very impressive. I really liked working with Madison very much. She’s very real and she has a maturity about her as a person. She’s still young and fresh, but she’s got a maturity in her artistry. She’s real. She’s the real deal.
MF: At this point in your career, do you enjoy having a chance to meet and work with a new generation of actors?
JV: Yeah, wonderful, of course it is. But I identify with them. I understand what they’re going through. I’ve been there. When I started out, I remember vividly every step of the way, and I can see where they are. I’m always impressed. I think everybody’s got something, everybody. In this area, you must have certain kinds of things that make you right for this. Then certain things that make you right for a specific character. Casting is everything, really. When you see somebody like Madison, she has a natural charm. She’s intelligent, and she’s got that dramatic understanding. She’s the real deal. So, you look, and it doesn’t take you five seconds to see what she’s all about. I was very happy to work with her, and she’s really nice. What a nice gal she is.
(L to R) Charlie Weber as Peter and Jon Voight as Byrne in ‘The Painter.’ Photo: Republic Pictures.
MF: What was it like collaborating with former stunt coordinator Kimani Ray Smith on an action movie like this, and in general, what are you looking for from a director when working on set?
JV: Every director that I’ve worked with is very different, one from the other, but they all must have the same kind of talent, just like actors do. Kimani is a very affable guy, nice fellow, down to earth, good guy, smart, used to leadership because he’s a stunt coordinator and people do what he tells them to do. He must come up with things. He’s imaginative, and he’s creative. Stephen Paul, who produced this film, and when I say produced, he produced almost every aspect of it. He said to me, he said, “John, Kimani has a gift for story. He understands story.” So not only does he understand the moment of the stunt that he’s in, and you must understand a lot to understand stunts, and you must protect these guys in some way, too. Then you must do something creative that nobody has done yet. So, you’re putting somebody in danger right way. Also, if he has a story sense, that’s another energy. That means he’s capable of directing. I’ve found that to be true. He understands the story, where it’s going, and especially in this case where there’s a lot of different little elements to the story. The control of it is in the director’s hands. He’s telling a story that’s very complex, and what you see on the screen is not necessarily what is going to appear to you several scenes later. So, he’s got to orchestrate this whole thing. He was very good at it. He turned out to be terrific.
(L to R) Al Pacino as Lieutenant Vincent Hanna and Robert De Niro as Neil McCauley in ‘Heat.’ Photo: Warner Bros.
MF: Finally, you appeared in one of the most beloved movies of all time, Michael Mann’s ‘Heat.’ Last year Mann published a novel that was both a sequel and a prequel to the original film and has talked about adapting it into a movie with Adam Driver playing a younger version of Robert De Niro’s character in flashbacks and even possibly having Al Pacino return. Since your character is one of the few that survived the original, I’m curious if you are aware of the novel and if you have had any discussions with Mann about possibly returning for ‘Heat 2?’
JV: I really enjoyed working on that film, and Michael and I had become friends prior. I’ve only done two films with Michael. I did ‘Heat’ and then I did ‘Ali’ and I played Howard Cosell. After he’d worked with me on ‘Heat,’ he called me up for Howard Cosell. That was like a crazy idea, but it turned out to be a very brilliant idea. I was the right person for that role. But anyway, I enjoy Michael. He’s a completely original guy, very demanding, and very brilliant. So, he asked me to do ‘Heat,’ and I said to him, “I read the script, and you can go down to the barrio and you can pick up a guy who’s the real guy and he’ll be terrific in this role,” because the role, it needed a presence. That’s mainly what it needed. There weren’t any tricks to it. You just had to have that. He said to me, “Well, John, if I do that, then I wouldn’t get a chance to work with you.” Wow, well, you got to accept that kind of love and where that’s coming. But anyway, I said, “I’m going to have to change myself entirely to be this character.” He said, “Yeah, we’ll do it.” He was great with me, and I did. I found a person named Kenny Diaz, who was from the barrio. Not that my character’s from the barrio, but he was a roughneck, and Kenny came from there. He really knew this area. We worked on this stuff to give my face some character. I’ve got some padding, and I worked very hard on the character. I think when I finally did it, I think I did achieve what was required and what I set out to do. I was very pleased with it. Do I know about Michael Mann’s book? Yes. I looked at the book and Michael did tell me, he said, “John, we’re going to do ‘Heat 2.’” I haven’t heard anything recently, but I think it might be his next film, but we don’t know. I don’t know yet. But anyway, ‘Heat,’ it was a great film. It was a great film for people. They enjoyed that journey. The two great actors, Al and Bobby, I mean, it just worked. All the actors in that piece were special. Michael’s quite brilliant at that. He casts very carefully. He’s an original mind and he put together an extraordinary movie. People love that movie.
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What is the Plot of ‘The Painter’?
An ex-CIA operative turned painter (Charlie Weber) is thrown back into a dangerous world when a mysterious woman (Madison Bailey) from his past resurfaces. Now exposed and targeted by a relentless killer and a rogue black ops program, he must rely on skills he thought he left behind in a high-stakes game of survival.
The story follows Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) as he arrives in the town of Gray Horse to live with his uncle William Hale (Robert De Niro). Ernest meets Mollie, an oil-rich Osage Nation woman, whose family members are dying due to mysterious ailments and suspicious murders.
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Where Can I Watch ‘Killers of the Flower Moon”?
(L to R) Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
The movie premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2023 with stellar reviews. Critics and attendees gave the film a nine-minute standing ovation. Later, the film premiered at the Lincoln Center on September 27, 2023.
Originally, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ was set to have a limited release on October 6, 2023 before its October 20 wide release. However, Apple Original Films and Paramount Pictures decided against the limited release and opted for a global theatrical release on October 20, 2023.
With the film being in theaters for over 60 days, showings have become quite limited. However, The film is now available on digital on various streaming platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV Plus, YouTube, Google Play, and Vudu. You have the option to rent for $19.99 or purchase for $24.99.
(L to R) Lily Gladstone and Martin Scorsese in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
After its successful debut at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, the highly anticipated film has earned over $156 million worldwide. The film is currently certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 93% critics score and 84% audience score.
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is touted to be a top contender during the upcoming Award season. It scored seven nominations from the upcoming 81st Golden Globes, including Best Motion Picture, Best Director for Motion Picture, Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture (Lily Gladstone), Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture (Leonardo DiCaprio), Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in any Motion Picture (Robert De Niro), Best Screenplay, and Best Original Score.
The movie received 12 nominations from Critics Choice, including Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Acting Ensemble, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Production Design, Best Editing, Best Costume Design, and Best Score.
All eyes are on ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ for the upcoming 96th annual Academy Awards.
When Will ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Be Available On Blu-Ray?
(L to R) JaNae Collins, Lily Gladstone, Cara Jade Myers and Jillian Dion in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
Now that the movie is available on VOD, for those who prefer physical media, it means a home release is on the horizon. While there is no confirmed date for when the DVD and Blu-Ray will hit major retailers, it is likely to be in early 2024.
Watch the official trailers for ‘Killers of he Flower Moon’ below:
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The official synopsis for ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is below:
“Based on David Grann’s broadly lauded best-selling book, “Killers of the Flower Moon” is set in 1920s Oklahoma and depicts the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror.”
(L to R) Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
And according to reporter Jeff Schneider, who broke the news, it’s one that is causing plenty of excitement among studios and streamers, who are understandably happy to have new potential projects starring big name actors floating around after months of delays because of this summer’s strikes.
What’s the story of ‘Best of Enemies’?
Bradley Cooper at the ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’ World Premiere.
Adapted from Gus Russo and Eric Dezenhall’s book ‘Best of Enemies: The Last Great Spy Story of the Cold War’ by ‘American Hustle’s Eric Warren Singer, the story follows two Cold War spies — CIA case officer Jack Platt and KGB agent Gennady Vasilenko — who became improbable friends at a time when they should’ve been anything but.
They were both new arrivals in Washington D.C. in 1978 when their respective agencies assigned each man to seduce the other into betraying his country during the final days of the Cold War. Many years later, they helped discover the Soviet mole Robert Hanssen together and solved several other high-profile espionage mysteries. Cooper would reportedly play Platt, while Bale would play Vasilenko.
As of right now, there is no director attached, but given his previous success directing and starring in ‘A Star is Born’ and (see below) ‘Maestro’, there’s speculation that he might end up stepping behind the camera for this one also.
Several companies are hoping to snag this one, with Apple and Netflix considered the front-runners.
What does Robert De Niro have to do with the real story?
Robert De Niro as Salvo in ‘About My Father.’ Photo Credit: Dan Anderson.
There’s another ‘American Hustle’ connection beyond the actors and writer, as another star of the David O. Russell movie, Robert De Niro, openly condemned Gennady’s incarceration in real life after he was caught and helped a lot with his case:
The ‘Raging Bull’ star sent a Christmas card to Gennady in prison which contained a photo.
The pic was enough to impress both the prison guards and the other inmates as DeNiro was just as famous in Russia as he was in the United States. Gennady’s treatment in prison immediately improved and he even came under the protection of Russian crime boss named Slava.
(L to R) Christian Bale and his wife, Sibi Blažić at the Los Angeles premiere of director David O. Russell’s ‘Amsterdam.’
Cooper, of course, is in the awards race again with Leonard Bernstein film ‘Maestro’, in which he plays the conducting/composing legend. It has been on limited theatrical release and will hit Netflix on December 20th.
Bale voices on the main characters in the English-language version of Studio Ghibli’s ‘The Boy and the Heron’, which was just released in theaters to impressive numbers. It earned $12.8 million in its opening weekend, becoming the first original anime production to top the domestic box office.
In the early 1920s, members of the Osage Nation are being murdered or dying mysteriously on their land in Oklahoma, which has made them incredibly wealthy due to the vast deposits of oil underneath their feet. World War I veteran Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) comes to live in the town of Gray Horse with his uncle, William Hale (Robert De Niro), and soon marries a rich Osage Nation woman named Mollie (Lily Gladstone). But Burkhart finds himself drawn into a far-ranging conspiracy that may claim his wife and her entire family.
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Who is in the cast of ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’?
At first glance, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ seems tailor-made for master filmmaker Martin Scorsese. Both a crime thriller and a penetrating look at a seemingly forgotten chapter of early 20th century American history, the film is on the surface a true epic. Clocking in at 206 minutes and immersing the viewer in the world of the Osage Nation and the corrupt, nearly lawless environs of the American South that threatened their existence, the film is bolstered by the sterling work of its cast and crew. But Scorsese makes two errors that prevent ‘Killers’ from joining the upper echelons of his filmography, and at points nearly stop the movie in its tracks.
Story and Direction
(L to R) Lily Gladstone and Martin Scorsese in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
In the late 1800s, the U.S. government pushed the Osage Nation out of its native land in Ohio and Mississippi and onto a rough area of Oklahoma known as “Indian territory”. But the joke was on the government, because the land was sitting atop a vast reservoir of oil; by the turn of the 20th century, the Osage were among the wealthiest people in the United States.
All this is laid out succinctly in the opening moments of “Killers of the Flower Moon,” along with the fact that, as the 1920s roll around, members of the Osage are either being outright murdered or passing away from mysterious ailments such as a “wasting disease.” And with the local authorities in the pockets of equally rich white land barons and businessmen who have established themselves in the nearby town of Gray Horse, none of these supremely suspicious deaths are investigated.
Into this toxic situation comes returning WW1 vet Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio), ostensibly looking for work but soon – at the suggestion of his uncle, cattle baron William King Hale (De Niro) — courting and marrying Mollie (Gladstone), whose family is among the richest in the Osage Nation. But as Mollie falls ill and other members of both her family and the Nation continue to perish, it becomes clear that this is all a grand conspiracy to seize the Osage Nation’s oil rights and the immense fortunes that come with them – even as its mastermind, Hale, acts as benefactor, friend, and supporter of the Nation.
With nearly all the local law enforcement either in Hale’s pocket or killed themselves, Mollie and several members of the Nation plead for help from President Calvin Coolidge. He dispatches agents of the newly formed Bureau of Investigation (later known as the FBI), led by Tom White (Jesse Plemons), to get to the bottom of the killings.
(L to R) Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
It’s easy to see why this material appealed to Scorsese: it’s both a generational crime saga – albeit not set in the usual Mafia confines he’s known for – and a searing indictment of the underside of American capitalism and institutional racism, as white interlopers use any means necessary to steal from the Osage what rightfully belongs to them, with – at first – hardly any consequences.
From a technical and artistic standpoint, ‘Killers’ is a marvel in every sense. The sets, the costumes, the period details, and the cinematography by Rodrigo Prieto all capture the texture of life in a very rough part of the United States some 100 years ago. The portrayal of the Osage Nation seems accurate and respectful, and late musicianRobbie Robertson’s powerful yet subtle score combines a throbbing, relentless modern bass line with Indigenous musical cues.
Yet ‘Killers’ falls short in two major areas: the pacing of the film is languid and curiously lacking in tension, as the plot and villains are telegraphed early on and much of the film is filled with odd editing choices – such as the presentation of a murder onscreen after it’s been described at least twice (including in a courtroom scene just prior), making the actual staging of it seem almost gratuitous. Another truly bizarre addition is Scorsese’s final scene, which wraps up the story in a strange expository sequence that nearly takes us out of the film.
But the movie’s biggest flaw is using Ernest Burkhart – an important but secondary player in the book – as the main character. The central character is clearly Mollie Burkhart, although she is relegated to the background for much of the film’s second half. The other major character in the book is BOI agent Tom White (a subdued Plemons, in the role DiCaprio was originally supposed to play), who arrives two-thirds of the way through the film and is also given short shrift as a character. Yet he and Mollie are essentially the moral compasses of the story, while Burkhart appears to have no inner core whatsoever and just allows himself to be manipulated by the people and events around him. This adds to the lack of energy and urgency that this hefty film so desperately needs.
(L to R) Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
It’s kind of astonishing to realize that Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro have not worked together onscreen since 1993’s ‘This Boy’s Life,’ and that the two of them – who have starred in five and nine previous Martin Scorsese pictures, respectively – have never shared the screen under Scorsese’s direction before. So it’s kind of momentous to see them together here.
In the end, however, it’s De Niro who comes across the strongest. His Hale is a masterful portrayal of an unapologetic monster, a man who apparently sees no moral disparity in the way he both seemingly cares for the Osage Nation and ruthlessly plots their slaughter in pursuit of money and power. He remains calm and self-composed, fatherly and yet stern, and professes his love for specific people even as he knows he’s condemning them to death. It’s no secret that Robert De Niro, in the latter stages of his career, has worked in a lot of less than stellar films; but it’s clear that working with his old friend and collaborator brings out the very best in this still vital actor.
As we detail above, DiCaprio is trapped with a character who is positioned as the film’s nominal protagonist (we wouldn’t call him a hero) while also part of the treachery and depravity that drives the film’s narrative. As such, the character seems strangely passive throughout, if not outright stupid at times, his face seems screwed up in a permanent grimace. De Niro’s Hale is clearly defined throughout the movie; DiCaprio’s Ernest Burkhart is not, and that muddies the good work that Leo is doing. He still delivers in several scenes, especially one between Ernest and Mollie that is one of the few truly heartbreaking moments in a film that should have a lot more of them.
Speaking of which, the third component of the film’s main triumvirate is also its standout. With a modest list of film and TV credits behind her, Lily Gladstone is simply riveting to watch here as Mollie. It’s a shame that the character is waylaid in bed for much of the film’s second half, because Gladstone brings dignity yet humanity to the character – she’s not put on a pedestal as some shining example of an Indigenous person, but is a human being with her own flaws and blind spots. And her grief, rage, and horror as she realizes what is happening to her and her people is palpable and intense.
How Accurate Is The Story?
(L to R) JaNae Collins, Lily Gladstone, Cara Jade Myers and Jillian Dion in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
David Grann’s book is meticulously researched, all the more impressive considering how much of the history of these events remains murky or was outright destroyed as the perpetrators covered their tracks. Scorsese and co-screenwriter Eric Roth may have brought certain aspects of the story forward in a manner that departs from the book, but the major elements of the story remain the same. And it’s the little details that cement the film’s devotion to presenting an accurate portrayal of the Osage Nation and the events of the time.
In fact, some of those details may not be clear to viewers the first time around, especially if one hasn’t read the book. For instance, wealthy Osage members, particularly women, are labeled “incompetents,” deemed incapable of handling their own money. It’s mentioned in the movie often and a perfect example of the level of accuracy and detail that Grann’s book strives for, and which Scorsese, Roth and their team replicate.
Final Thoughts
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ is worth seeing for its tremendous performances by Lily Gladstone, Robert De Niro, and others, as well as its incredible production design, detailed immersion in the world of Gray Horse, Oklahoma and the Osage Nation, and haunting score from Robbie Robertson. But viewers will feel every minute of the film’s three-and-a-half-hour length, and the decision to see most of the story through the eyes of Leonardo DiCaprio’s Ernest Burkhart is a nearly fatal flaw that robs the film of a point of view or moral center.
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ receives 6 out of 10 stars.
(L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
Based on a true story and told through the improbable romance of Ernest Burkhart (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone), ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ tracks the suspicious murders of members of the Osage Nation, who became some of the richest people in the world overnight after oil was discovered underneath their land.
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Who is in the cast of ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’?
(L to R) Lily Gladstone and Martin Scorsese in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of attending a virtual press conference, along with other members of the press, for ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ featuring Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese. The legendary filmmaker discussed his new movie, what attracted him to the story, shooting in Oklahoma, historical accuracy vs. emotional truthfulness, casting Lily Gladstone, reuniting with DiCaprio and De Niro, and the music of the late great Robbie Robertson.
You can read about the press conference below or click on the video player above to watch excerpts from the interview.
Scorsese on Accurately Representing the Osage Community
(L to R) JaNae Collins, Lily Gladstone, Cara Jade Myers and Jillian Dion in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
The iconic director began by discussing how he and his production team went about accurately representing the Osage community in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’
Martin Scorsese: Well at first, it was very important for me, as soon as I saw the book, and I said, “Well, if you want me to be involved with anything that has to do with indigenous people and Native Americans, I had an experience in the 70s where I began to become aware of the nature of what their situation was and still is.” I’d been blindly unaware of that, I was too young. It’s taken me years and I’m fascinated by how do you really deal with that culture in a way that is respectful? How truthful can we be and still have authenticity and respect, dignity and deal with the truth, honestly, as best we can. Having said that, that story, when I read it, indicated to me that this would probably be the one that we could deal with that way. Particularly by getting involved with the culture of the Osage and actually placing cultural elements, rituals, spiritual moments. People talk about mystical realism or something. Now this is real. You see the dream. The dream is real. The ancestors come. So for me, I wanted to know how, I wanted to play with that world in contrast with the white European world. I felt that this could have afforded us the possibility. Ultimately what happened was that we were dealing with the script on the basis of the David Grann’s book, which is excellent, but the book also has the subtitle, the ‘Birth of the FBI.’ For about a year and a half to two years, I was doing ‘The Irishmen’ and that sort of thing, and Eric Roth and I were working and we felt that we took the story of the birth of the FBI as far as we could take it, and I wanted to keep balancing with the Osage and it was getting bigger and bigger and more diffused. Ultimately this was supplemented by the times that we went out to Oklahoma and met with the Osage. My first meeting was with Chief Standing Bear and his group, Julie and Addie Roanhorse and Chad Renfro, and it was very different than what I expected. They were naturally cautious. I had to explain to them that I’m going to try and deal with them as honestly and truthfully as possible. We weren’t going to fall into the trap. We think of the cliche of victims or the drunken Indian, this sort of thing, and yet tell the story as straight as possible. What I didn’t really understand the first couple of meetings was that this is an ongoing situation, an ongoing story out in Oklahoma. In other words, these are things that really weren’t talked about in the generation I was talking to and in the generation before them. It was the generation before them that this happened to and so they didn’t talk about it much. The people involved are still there, meaning the families are still there, the descendants are still there. What I learned from meeting with them, having dinners with them, including Margie Burkhart, I think she was the relative of Ernest Burkhart. She pointed out, and a number of other people pointed out that you have to understand, a lot of the white guys there, a lot of the European Americans, particularly Bill Hale, they were good friends. One guy pointed out, he said Henry Roan was his best friend, and yet he killed him. People just didn’t believe at the time that Bill would be capable of such things. So, what is that about us as human beings that allows for us to be so compartmentalized in a way? After they saw ‘Silence,’ they sort of felt a little more comfortable with me doing this. Margie Burkhart said, one has to remember that Ernest, her ancestor loved Mollie and Mollie loved Ernest. It’s a love story. Ultimately what happened is that the script shifted that way, and that’s when Leo decided to play Ernest instead of Tom White. By that point, we started reworking the script and it became really, instead of from the outside in coming in and finding out who’d done it, when in reality it’s who didn’t do it. It’s a story of complicity. It’s a story of sin by omission, and silent complicity certain cases. That’s what afforded us the opportunity to open the picture up and start from the inside out.
Shooting in Oklahoma
(L to R) Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
Scorsese was determined to shoot the film in Oklahoma, where the story is based. He talked about the first time he visited Oklahoma and how he began to visualize shooting the movie there.
MS: Well, I think the first time was in 2019. It was a little confusing because of shooting ‘Irishman,’ doing the CGI, which was a longer post-production, four or five months, and then COVID hitting, but I know we were there before COVID. We at least had two trips there before COVID. For me, I am a New Yorker. I grew up in the lower East side of New York. I’m very urban. I don’t understand weather that much or where the sun is when you’re on the set. I was very surprised to learn that it’s set in the West. That’s because I was driving down Sunset Boulevard one time about 30 years ago, and I saw the sun setting and I said, it’s great. It’s “Sun-set Boulevard.” The sun sets in the West, I go, “oh, now I get it.” Anyway, when I got there, all I can tell you is those prairies are quite something and they open your mind and your heart. They are just beautiful. Especially driving on these roads, straight roads were prairie and on both sides, wild horses, bison and cows, but the wild horses just out to pasture for the rest of their lives and it was like idyllic. So I said, “Where do I put the camera at this point? How much of the sky? How much of the prairie?” Should it be 1.85 or should it be 235? We got to go 235. You’re going to want to see more of this land. Then I began to realize that the land itself could be sinister. In other words, you’re in a place like this and you don’t see people for miles. You could do anything. Particularly, it turns out a hundred years ago, for me, 1920 is like fifty years ago because I was born in 1942, so the 1920s are to me the way the 1990’s are now to younger people. So when they told me, “Marty, this is a hundred years ago,” I keep thinking, “why are we making a period piece? It’s like normal.” I mean, yes, they were old cars. So I said, “It’s not really a Western, it’s normal.” But when I saw that and I realized this is a place where you don’t need the law. I mean, you have the law, but the law isn’t working that way. You can make the law work for you if you’re smart enough, as we know now, many people do. What I mean by that is that it’s still a wide open territory. You have law, but it’s a wide open territory. So the place, as beautiful as it is, can shift to being very sinister. What I wanted to capture ultimately was the very nature of the virus or the cancer that creates this sense of an easygoing genocide. That’s why we went with the story with Mollie and Ernest because that’s the basis of the love. The love is the basis of trust. So when there’s betrayal that way, that deep, and we know that for a fact that it was that way. Here’s our story.
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ director Martin Scorsese.
Scorsese also talked about balancing historical accuracy with what he calls the “emotional resonance” of the movie.
MS: This was a constant, historically accurate, and I should say the word “truthful.” You can have a ritual and you shoot a ritual is the way it should be, but it may have been slightly different at the time. We had a lot of support from the Osage authority, the experts who were giving us the indication of how to go about these things, Johnny Williams, and a number of other people. So with them, we tested the accuracy of the rituals, the weddings, the funerals, everything that happened at the funerals, all of this sort of thing. In some cases there was wiggle room because quite honestly, I think the last two generations of Osage forgot about or was taken out of their experience because they had to become white European, they had to become Christians, Catholics, or whatever. So they forgot about all that. In fact, there’s a new resurgence of the learning of the language. We had language teachers there, and Lily Gladstone learned the language and so did Leo, and so did De Niro who really fell in love with it and wanted to do more scenes in Osage. But I suggested that maybe it’s too much for him, but he just liked the sound of it. They were all learning again to put their culture back together through this movie and we were going with them. So what actually happened was, we would ask, does this person put the blanket on this way, is that right? Well, one person would say yes, I would say maybe no. Another one would say, you have a little room here to play with it and have some creative license. So that’s the way we did it throughout every scene that way. That was done a lot in pre-production and during the shoot. So we had that as a basis. There are ways that were never insistent, but there were ways they got to me, certain information where it was Marianne Bower, for example, one of our producers and she’s like my archivist, and she was able to help keep it all together between myself and the Osage.
Casting Lily Gladstone
(L to R) Lily Gladstone and Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
The director discussed casting actress Lily Gladstone as Mollie Burkhart and why her casting was pivotal to the film’s success.
MS: Well, I believe Ellen Lewis showed her to me in ‘Certain Women,’ Kelly Reinhardt’s film. I thought she was terrific and then COVID hit and we weren’t able to meet. So after the pandemic was calming down, we met on Zoom. I was very impressed by her presence, the intelligence and the emotion that’s there in her face, but you see it. You feel it, but it’s all working behind the eyes. You could see it happening. Also, her activism, which wasn’t overtaking the art, in other words, the art was in the activism in a sense. So the art takes over and in a way which we think then would be more resonant later on after you see the movie, you may be thinking about it more rather than a person preaching at you. I think the first big scene we did was one of my favorite scenes where she has dinner with Earnest alone and she’s questioning him, a little bit of an interrogation. “What are you doing here? Are you afraid of him? What’s your religion?” All this sort of thing. Then you begin to see the connection between the two. When she says, “Ha, coyote wants money.” And surprisingly he said, “That’s right, I love money.” So she knows, this is the other thing, she knows what she’s getting into. Even her sisters later, which is also a scene that we put in with the Osage and the Native American actors. They said, “What if we’re talking about the guys while they’re playing that game and we’re talking about my husband and talking about that guy with the blue eyes likes you and, you know, I don’t think he just wants money. It doesn’t matter. He’s nice. He wants to settle down.” Why don’t we just show that that’s how it could happen? So that’s the way the script was ultimately created by these moments. So with Lily, there was that scene, and of course the scene where he’s driving her in the taxi and it’s only one shot. He says something about, “I want to see who’s going to be in this horse race.” And she says something in Osage and He goes, “What’d you say?” And she says it in Osage again. And he says, “Well, I don’t know what that was, but it must’ve been Indian for handsome Devil.” That’s an improv, and you see her laugh for real. So that moment you have the actual relationship between the two actors. These were the two moments. We felt very comfortable with her. Also we had a feeling that we needed her. We needed her to help us tell the story of the women there. We would always check with her and work with her on the script. There were scenes that were added and rewritten constantly.
Reuniting with Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro
(L to R) Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
Martin Scorsese has made ten movies with Robert De Niro, and five with Leonardo DiCaprio, but ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ marks the first Scorsese movie to feature both actors. The director discussed his working relationship with both De Niro and DiCaprio.
MS: Well, in the case of Robert De Niro, we were teenagers together, and he’s the only one who really knows where I come from, people I knew and that sort of thing. Some of them are still alive. He knows them. I know his friends, his old friends, and we had a real testing ground in the 70’s where we tried everything and we found that we trusted each other. It was all about trust and love. That’s what it is. That’s a big deal because very often if an actor has a lot of power, and he had a lot of power at that time, an actor could take over your picture, the studio gets angry with you, and the actor comes in and takes it over. With him I never felt that. I never felt that. There was a freedom. There was experimenting and also, he’s not afraid of anything. He wasn’t afraid to do something. He just did it. Years later he told me he worked with this kid, Leo DiCaprio, a little boy in ‘This Boy’s Life.’ He said, “You should work with this kid sometime,” but it was just casual. With him, something like that, a recommendation at that time, I think in the early 90’s, is not casual. He says it casually, but he rarely said that. He rarely gave recommendations. So years go by and I’m presented with Leo with ‘Gangs of New York,’ and we worked together in ‘Gangs.’ He made ‘Gangs’ possible actually. He loved the pictures I’d made and he wanted to explore the same territory. So we developed more of a relationship when we did ‘The Aviator.’ Towards the end of it, there was something happening in maturity with him, not quite sure, but we really clicked in certain scenes and that led to ‘The Departed,’ and then we became much closer. That was a project where Bill Monaghan, me, and other people, we were writing all the time and recreating that character that he played of Billy. During that time, he really found out that even though it’s a thirty years difference, he has similar sensibilities. He’ll come to me and he’ll say, listen to this record. It’s Louis Jordan and Ella Fitzgerald. I grew up with it. He’s not bringing me anything new, but he likes it. That’s interesting. He’ll call me and says, “I had a cold and I was looking at Criterion Films and I wanted to catch up on some of these classics, and I saw this incredible movie. It’s a Japanese picture. It’s called ‘Tokyo Story.’ Did you ever see it?” This was last year, I said, “yeah.” I mean, it took me a few years to catch up. I couldn’t even understand Ozu‘s style, seeing it for the first time in the early 70’s because we used Orson Welles’ cameras, and this guy got it from watching it on a big screen TV. That’s very interesting to me to be open that way to older parts of our culture, newer parts of our culture, of course, and the curiosity that he has about other people and other cultures. There’s a trust. Even if we can’t get it right away, we know we’ll come up with something. Maybe other people have relationships where they come up with it faster. Well, we don’t. We just work it through. For example, the scene between Leo and Bob in the jail at the end. That scene ultimately was finally written, I think a few days before we shot it, working with the two of them and working with Marianne and everybody because we had said so much, and it could have gone so many different ways, but what does the picture really need? How much more is there for them to say to each other after all that’s happened? So we went that way. It’s trust. Particularly doing ‘The Wolf for Wall Street,’ by the way he came up with wonderful stuff that was outrageous. So I pushed him, he pushed me, then I pushed him more than he pushed me, and suddenly everything was wild. It’s really quite something. He had a good energy too on the set. That was also important. Very important, because in the mornings, I’m not really good and I’d get on set and then I’d see him or Jonah Hill or Margot Robbie, or him and Lily, and suddenly they’re all like, “Hey.” I said, “Okay, let’s work.”
The importance of Music in his Movies
(L to R) Martin Scorsese and Robbie Robertson at a screening of ‘The Last Waltz’ at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2019.
Finally, Scorsese discussed the importance of music in his movies, and how it influences the way he moves his camera. He also spoke about his longtime collaborator, the late musician Robbie Robertson, and his musical contributions to ‘Killers of the Flower Moon.’
MS: The way I like to make pictures, for the most part I’ve learned, not intentionally, but I feel it is like the pacing of music. The boxing scenes in ‘Raging Bull’ are like the ballet scene in ‘The Red Shoes’ where everything is seen and felt from inside the ring, inside the fighter’s head. The way everything is felt and seen inside the dancer’s head of Moira Shearer in ‘Red Shoes.’ The covering of the band singing ‘The Weight’ in ‘The Last Waltz,’ doing it in a studio was very much according to the music, to the different bars of music and how a camera would move, et cetera. Sometimes I played the music back on the set in the case of ‘Goodfellas’, a number of times. The end of ‘Layla,’ for example, was played back as we were doing the camera moves. For me, ultimately a movie is more like, I’m trying to get to a movie being a piece of music. I think that’s why I do these music documentaries at the same time, I’m trying to get to the pacing and rhythm of something that can be played. For example, you play a symphony and you live with it. “I’ve heard the Beethoven Symphony so many times, I don’t want to hear it again.” No, you play it. “Well, I like the third movement. I want to hear the second movement again.” No, I mean, you live with it. Or Baroque music, anything by Bach or Philip Glass let’s say. In a case like this, very often if a film is playing on TCM, I take the sound off and I just watch. It’s living with me. I live with it. If it’s a Hitchcock or it’s a Ford or a newer one, whatever, I’m looking, and I can tell there’s a musical rhythm to the pacing of the camera and the edit. What I mean by the camera, it’s the size of the people in the frame, the editing and camera movement. I could feel it. So that’s how I exist in a sense. So for me, it’s really about getting the pace of music. That’s done very carefully on set, but also even more carefully in the editing. That’s why this picture is more like somebody pointed out recently, a Bolero, where it starts slower and moves slowly and encircles, and then suddenly gets more intense, and suddenly goes more and more until it explodes that way. So I felt it. I couldn’t verbalize the way I am now, but I felt it in the shoot and in the edit. A lot of the music that kept pushing me was what Robbie Robertson had put together, particularly that base note that he was playing. When Ernest drops her off for the first time at Mollie’s house, she looks at him, she turns, and all of a sudden you hear, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. I said, “I wanted something dangerous and fleshy and sexy, but dangerous.” That beat took us all the way through. Then he sent me some hymn and I picked up music from Harry Smith’s Anthology of Folk Music, all this sort of thing. One particular piece called the ‘Indian War Whoop’ by Hoyt Ming and his Pep Steppers was very important. ‘Bulldoze Blues’ by Henry Thomas, which became ‘Going up the Country’ by Canned Heat. All of this, and ‘See See Rider Blues’ by Ma Rainey, and of course Emmett Miller singing ‘Lovesick Blues,’ which became the great ‘Lovesick Blues’ by Hank Williams later on, but this was the first. So it’s all that’s in there, but the drive of the movie is what Robbie put down, and we pulled it through that way.
(L to R) Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
Martin Scorsese, with his long, successful career, many superb movies and avowed advocacy for both classic and modern cinema, has earned the right to his opinion about the medium.
And he has been vocal in the past about his issues with the movie industry’s focus on superheroes and their associated genre, with billions spent on films from the likes of Marvel and DC at the expense of other output.
Now, sitting down with GQ in advance of his next release, ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’, he’s back on the subject, voicing his concerns about young audiences being indoctrinated into thinking that costumed heroes are the only game in town.
Scorsese on comic book movies as “manufactured content”
(L to R) Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, and Robert Downey Jr. in ‘The Avengers.’ Photo: Courtesy of Marvel Studios.
Here’s what the iconic filmmaker had to say about comic book and other movies:
“The danger there is what it’s doing to our culture. Because there are going to be generations now that think movies are only those —that’s what movies are. I do think that the manufactured content isn’t really cinema.”
And this was his concern about the content, not the people creating it:
“What I mean is that it’s manufactured content. It’s almost like AI making a film. And that doesn’t mean that you don’t have incredible directors and special effects people doing beautiful artwork. But what does it mean? What do these films, what will it give you? Aside from a kind of consummation of something and then eliminating it from your mind, your whole body, you know? So, what is it giving you?”
Martin Scorsese promotes the upcoming film ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ during the Paramount Pictures presentation during CinemaCon, the official convention of the National Association of Theatre Owners, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on April 27, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Gabe Ginsberg/WireImage.
According to the director, the response is to have filmmakers who make other types of movies “fight back”:
“Which means that we have to then fight back stronger. And it’s got to come from the grassroots level. It’s gotta come from the filmmakers themselves. And you’ll have, you know, the Safdiebrothers, and you’ll have Chris Nolan, you know what I mean? And hit ’em from all sides. Hit ’em from all sides, and don’t give up. Let’s see what you got. Go out there and do it. Go reinvent. Don’t complain about it. But it’s true because we’ve got to save cinema.”
While we’re in complete agreement that cinema needs a boost, particularly in the wake of the pandemic and the strikes, and the fact that many of the studios have poured their resources into the superhero genre (because, partly thanks to Marvel, it has been hugely successful, generating billions of dollars at the box office and beyond), it’s perhaps not as simple as that.
Saying that audiences will begin to think that superhero movies are all that is out there doesn’t match up with history –– after all, there was a time when gangsters were dominating cinema. And musicals. And for years, Westerns were massive, but rarely produced these days (they’ve moved to TV with the likes of ‘Yellowstone’).
The age of the superhero will pass too –– we’ve already seen signs that the genre is not as popular as it once was, on screens big and small.
And while Scorsese spotlights the likes of Christopher Nolan and the Safdie brothers, let’s not forget that Nolan directed threeBatmanmovies (and produced others in the DC universe) and Benny Safdie has made acting appearances in the likes of the ‘Star Wars’ universe.
Also, though it’s totally true that younger audiences in particular shouldn’t go thinking that comic book movies, there is something to be said for them serving as gateways to other genres and cinematic focuses.
After all, haven’t the likes of Scorsese contemporaries such as George Lucas commented on the genre outings that helped get them into moviemaking in the first case? No one wants to watch ‘Flash Gordon’ movies all the time, but they helped inspire some very popular directors.
Didn’t Scorsese himself first get into movies by watching genre material? Unless at age six he was watching long, Polish, black and white dramas set during medieval times.
Who is to say that a young person watching the likes of a Marvel, DC or other offering won’t go on to make a cinematic masterpiece, full of drama and consequence? Yes, they should also be watching work by the likes of Nolan, the Safdies, Greta Gerwig, Wes Anderson and Scorsese himself, but if their interest is sparked does it really matter where they get their start?
Finally, while there are many sub-par comic book and sci-fi efforts (as there are in any genre), it feels disingenuous to suggest that nothing from the genre can have an impact: witness the cultural effect of something like ‘Black Panther’ or the audacious scope of ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ and ‘Endgame’, both of which delivered giant emotional moments and represented the culmination of years of carefully crafted storylines with connected characters and movies.
Still, we will never disagree with the notion that Scorsese has a lot of value when it comes to talking about cinema in general.
(L to R) Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
Adapted from David Grann’s bestseller by Scorsese and Eric Roth and based on a true story, ‘Flower Moon’ is set in Oklahoma in the 1920s when oil brought a fortune to the Osage Nation, who became some of the richest people in the world overnight. The wealth immediately attracted white interlopers, who manipulated, extorted, and stole as much Osage money as they could before resorting to murder.
‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ will be in theaters globally on October 20th before eventually arriving on Apple TV+.
(L to R) Lily Gladstone and Martin Scorsese in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon,’ coming soon to Apple TV+.
