You have to wonder why it’s taken so long for Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” to be ready. I just heard back from someone saying that he’s still editing the film. Even by Scorsese/Schoonmaker standards, the post-production process has been very long.
The plan, I’m told, is still still a world premiere at Cannes with a fall rollout at various film festivals, but, my source adds, “nothing is certain.”
‘Killers’ was all set to have a teaser released last August, with a late fall release to boot, and then came Scorsese’s sudden call for more reshoots in NYC, mostly having to do with the film’s coda.
Initial production on the $200 million budgeted ‘Killers’ wrapped in October of 2021. Then a series of reshoots occurred in mid-2022, both in New York City and Oklahoma.
When it gets released this fall, it’ll probably have been close to two years since production had wrapped on the film. This would break Scorsese’s post-production length record, 2010’s “Shutter Island” took about 20 months.
However, earlier this year ‘Killers’ star Lily Gladstone gave an interesting interview about how production went down on the film:
It’s a different movie than the one [Scorsese] walked in to make almost entirely because of what the community had to say about how it was being made and what was being portrayed
That quote is fascinating in more ways than one. It tells us that Scorsese wanted an authentic portrayal of Oklahoma’s Osage Community. Osage Nation chief, Geoffrey Standing Bear, eventually served as a consultant on the movie.
It’s quite obvious that the Osage Nation ended up changing ‘Flower Moon’ from what Scorsese had originally planned. But to what extent? Is this why reshoots took place?
Regardless, it would be unwise to bet against 80-year-old Scorsese. “Killers of the Flower Moon” is set to be the 26th feature film of his illustrious career.