Apple Lands Martin Scorsese Movie Starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert DeNiro -- 2nd Update
May 27 2020 - 10:42PM
Dow Jones News
By Joe Flint and R.T. Watson
Apple Inc. has nabbed director Martin Scorsese's next film,
"Killers of the Flower Moon," starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert
De Niro, according to people familiar with the matter.
The project will be Apple's biggest foray into film yet as it
beat out other interested companies, including Netflix Inc., which
produced Mr. Scorsese's last film.
The film will be labeled an Apple Original Film, and Paramount
Pictures, which was the original home for the movie, will
distribute the movie theatrically. Imperative Entertainment, which
bought the rights to the book the movie is based on, is also a
producer on the film.
Paramount Pictures, a unit of ViacomCBS Inc., had both creative
and financial issues with the movie, whose budget ballooned to more
than $200 million, according to a person with knowledge of the
situation. Script rewrites were done to try to bring costs down but
ultimately failed and the studio balked at the project.
The Wall Street Journal reported in April that Mr. Scorsese's
team approached Apple, e as well as Netflix and MGM Holdings Inc.,
about taking over the movie.
This is the second major movie acquisition Apple has made in
recent days. It also acquired "Greyhound," a Tom Hanks World War II
movie that previously was at Sony Pictures. The movie is based on
the Battle of the Atlantic and was also written by Mr. Hanks.
Mr. Scorsese's last film, "The Irishman," also starring Mr. De
Niro, ended up changing producers during development as well
because of soaring costs. Netflix rescued the project because
having the high-profile film helped boost the streaming service's
reputation.
"The Irishman" received several Academy Award nominations last
year amid a lavish campaign but went home empty-handed.
"Killers of the Flower Moon" is based on a nonfiction bestseller
by David Grann about a string of killings of Native Americans in
the early 20th century in Oklahoma.
Write to Joe Flint at joe.flint@wsj.com and RT Watson at
rt.watson@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
May 27, 2020 22:27 ET (02:27 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2020 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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