Martin Scorsese And Robert De Niro’s ‘The Irishman’ Picked Up By Netflix

Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro‘s latest project, The Irishman, has been picked up by Netflix, much to fans’ anticipation. The duo had worked on the gangster movie for decades, and will mark the ninth time the Oscar-winning duo have collaborated together.

The Irishman is an adaptation of the Charles Brandt book I Heard You Paint Houses, which follows hitman Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran, who allegedly killed Jimmy Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union.

‘The Irishman’ Picked Up By Netflix

The project is just starting its production, and Netflix reported planning on releasing the movie in 2019. It will include a limited Oscar-qualifying theatrical release. The project is budgeted at $100 million, and will use Rogue-One-like visual effects to make De Niro and other actors look decades younger in flashback scenes. The mobster film will also star Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel and Joe Pesci.

This movie will mark Scorsese and De Niro’s first feature-length project since Casino in 1995. Previous collaborations have included classics like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, and Cape Fear.

This is the latest instance of how Netflix, a major force in TV, is expanding its influence to encompass movies. The Irishman was originally to be released by Paramount, which was behind Scorsese’s last movie, Silence. But the streaming giant came to the rescue amid rumors that Paramount’s studio head Brad Grey was leaving.