Fans of historical western dramas rejoice! Martin Scorsese’s much talked-about adaptation of Killers of the Flower Moon has a new filming date. Originally set to begin rolling in March of this year, the production was delayed by the pandemic and will now begin shooting in February of 2021.
As reported by IndieWire, the Osage Nation is preparing for a 16-week shoot in Oklahoma beginning in February of next year, with the production scheduled to start moving into the state in November and December. The film, based on the 2017 non-fiction book by David Grann, is about the murder of several Osage people in the 1920s after they discovered oil on their land. The killings attracted the attention of the newly-formed FBI, whose investigation uncovered a sinister conspiracy.
The adaptation will reunite Scorsese with frequent collaborators Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, which will also mark the first time both actors have appeared in a film together since the 1996 drama Marvin’s Room. And as reported by Osage News, Killers of the Flower Moon intends to employ several Native American crewmembers, including “artisans, cooks, language speakers, homeowners, landowners” and others, as well as film in many historical Osage locations.
Killers of the Flower Moon was initially going to be financed and distributed entirely by Paramount, but after the budget ballooned to $200 million, the studio negotiated a deal with Apple in which the streaming and tech giant will foot the production bill and Paramount will handle worldwide distribution. It’s a massive budget for a drama, but considering Scorsese’s last film The Irishman scored near-universal acclaim and 10 Academy Award nominations for Netflix on a budget that may have been as high as $250 million, it makes sense that another streamer would be willing to write that check. Obviously, there’s currently no word on a release date yet, but it’s likely we can expect to watch Scorsese’s latest epic sometime in 2022. For more upcoming films, read about when the next John Wick sequels are set to begin filming. (Yes, there's more than one!)