Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman” is just days away from its world premiere at the New York Film Festival and Netflix is marking the occasion ahead of time by debuting tons of new footage — this time, courtesy of the movie’s official trailer. Scorsese is fully back in gangster movie mode, a genre he has long dominated with entires such as “Mean Streets,” “Goodfellas,” and “Casino.” On paper, “The Irishman” sounds like the ultimate Scorsese movie not only because of the genre but also because it reunites him with former muse Robert De Niro. The two are behind some of the greatest films ever made, including “Taxi Driver” and “Raging Bull,” which is one reason expectations are sky high for Netflix’s “The Irishman.”
De Niro stars in “The Irishman” as Frank Sheeran, a World War II veteran who became a mob hitman and allegedly played a role in Jimmy Hoffa’s death. Steven Zaillian, who worked with Scorsese on “Gangs of New York” and has scripted films such as “Moneyball,” “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” and “American Gangster,” wrote the script based on Charles Brandt’s book “I Heard You Paint Houses.” Pacino stars as Hoffa in what is remarkably his first movie with Scorsese behind the camera. Pesci, who won an Oscar for starring in Scorsese’s “Goodfellas,” is playing mob member Russell Bufalino. The supporting cast also includes Bobby Cannavale, Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, and Anna Paquin.
Netflix will be launching “The Irishman” at NYFF before it hits theaters and then the streaming service, following the “Roma” playbook in hopes of courting Oscar nominations. The movie will open in theaters November 1 and remain exclusively in theaters for just over three weeks. “The Irishman” will be available to stream on Netflix beginning November 27. The movie has lined up additional festival appearances around the world, including the Lumière Festival, and will be the centerpiece of the Rome Film Festival.
“The Irishman” is Scorsese’s first release since “Silence.” The filmmaker had originally prepared to make the movie with his longtime studio Paramount but the escalating budget resulted in a sale to Netflix. The VFX being used to de-age Pacino, De Niro, and Pesci drop the budget up to a reported $160 million, making it Scorsese’s priciest picture to date.
