Martin Scorsese has wrapped production on his latest gangster picture, The Irishman. The film, which reunites the legendary director with his former muse Robert De Niro, has lingered in development hell for a number of years and finally came into fruition in 2016. It is based on Charles Brandt’s book I Heard You Paint Houses and tells the story of Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran (De Niro), who recalls his involvement in various mob activities – including the disappearance of one Jimmy Hoffa. The A-list ensemble is rounded out by the likes of Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Ray Romano, and Anna Paquin (among others).
The Irishman was originally set up at Paramount, but the studio ultimately passed on the project due to concerns about the ballooning budget. Scorsese is implementing now-common CGI de-aging effects so his elder actors can portray “younger” versions of themselves, which is an expensive proposition. The film eventually found a home at Netflix and cameras finally started rolling last year. Now, Scorsese’s long and winding journey is one step closer to completion.
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Taking to his official Instagram account (yes, the 75-year old is a social media wiz – complete with cute dog pictures), Scorsese made the exciting announcement that he has wrapped filming on The Irishman. He took the opportunity to thank everyone involved who made this a reality. Check out his post in the space below:
With principal photography now finished, Scorsese will now occupy himself with the lengthy post-production process. Though the Oscar-winner is primarily known for character dramas, working with special effects isn’t exactly something new for him. Scorsese’s 2011 ode to cinema, Hugo, dominated the technical categories at that year’s Oscars, including a win for Best Visual Effects. Additionally, a number of Scorsese’s films (like The Aviator and The Wolf of Wall Street) are quite ambitious in scope, so he shouldn’t be out of his element with Irishman. One has to think that if a master like Scorsese was uncomfortable with the heavy amounts of CGI, he would have pursued a different avenue to get what he needed. The technology only continues to improve, so what Scorsese is attempting is definitely possible.
Netflix has not had the best of luck with their original film slate of late, as evidenced by a string of critically-panned misfires in the form of Bright, The Cloverfield Paradox, and Mute. However, this doesn’t mean The Irishman is destined for a similar fate. The streaming giant just won their first Academy Award (Best Documentary, Icarus) and Dee Rees’ Mudbound was nominated in key categories such as Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress. As is the case with traditional theatrical releases, the quality of Netflix movies depends by and large on the talent and material behind it. Scorsese seems to only get better with age, so The Irishman should be another memorable addition to his résumé.
MORE: Netflix Is The Only Way The Irishman Could Have Been Made
The Irishman is expected to hit Netflix in 2019.
Source: Martin Scorsese
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