OK, so we’re already pretty darn excited about the release of Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman on Netflix.
And now the true immense scale of the project has been revealed: the streaming giant is to splash the cash, spending a cool $105m (€96.5m) on the flick.
Due to be unveiled in 2019 (still a bit of a wait, so) the cast is the very definition of all-star: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci and Harvey Keitel. Mr Scorsese himself will be both in front of and behind the camera.
Various members of this iconic group of actors have previously been involved in the likes of The Godfather, The Departed, Casino, Goodfellas, and Pulp Fiction.
However, The Irishman – based on a book, I Hear You Paint Houses, by Charles Brandt – will be the first time that De Niro, Pacino, Pesci, Keitel, and Scorsese have starred on screen together.
The movie will tell the story of one Frank ‘The Irishman’ Sheeran (Robert De Niro), a 6ft 4in mob hitman who was born in Philadelphia of Irish descent. He died of cancer in 2003 at the age of 83.
It is being reported that Netflix kicked off negotiations with Mr Scorsese after Paramount Pictures concluded that the project was high risk.
A Paramount spokesman explained: “Scorsese’s movie is a risky deal, and Paramount is not in the position to take risks. This way, he can make the project he wants.”
$105m is certainly a lot of money to recoup, but GQ has already stated that the decision marks “the death of cinema”.
The publication added that the film is set to be the most anticipated “not just of Scorsese’s career, but one of the most anticipated films of the decade”.
