After months of discussions with the Osage Nation about making “Killers of the Flower Moon” into a movie, Martin Scorsese is set to film his adaptation of the grisly murder-mystery novel in Osage County this coming spring, according to musician Robbie Robertson, who will be scoring the film (much like he did on “The Irishman”).
Scorsese has also stated that Robert De Niro will play the part of William Hale, one of the main characters in the book. Last year, Variety had confirmed that Scorsese and Dicaprio's sixth collaboration together would start production this summer. However, with Scorsese still promoting “The Irishman,” a Spring 2020 date does make sense. No matter, the movie is now definitely happening, with Paramount having even picked it up for distribution.
The film, written by Eric Roth, an Oscar winner for “Forrest Gump,” is based on a non-fiction book by David Grann. Grann’s murder mystery is set in 1920s Oklahoma and tells the story of Osage Indians who suddenly started to get murdered, as did those trying to investigate. A corrupt FBI would eventually be tasked to investigate.
Scorsese and DiCaprio already have another project in the works, “The Devil in the White City,” but ‘Flower Moon’ seems to be the film that Scorsese will follow-up “The Irishman” with. As mentioned, it is destined to be their sixth collaboration together, after "Gangs of New York," "The Aviator," "The Departed," "Shutter Island," and "The Wolf of Wall Street."
DiCaprio and De Niro previously worked together on 1993’s “This Boy’s Life.” However, although longtime acting collaborators, they have never worked together on a Martin Scorsese movie.
Meanwhile, "The Irishman" starring De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci is now streaming on Netflix.