Ahead of its world premiere at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival, the first trailer for “Killers of the Flower Moon” has dropped courtesy of Apple TV+ and Paramount Pictures.
The long-in-the-works adaptation of the David Grann book tells the true story of the murders of multiple Osage people in Oklahoma in the 1920s after oil was discovered on tribal land. Leonardo DiCaprio plays Ernest Burkhart, nephew of the murderous cattle tycoon William Hale, who is played by Robert De Niro, while Lily Gladstone plays Ernest’s wife Mollie.
Martin Scorsese co-wrote the screenplay with Eric Roth and directs the film, which went through multiple permutations before finally going into production. DiCaprio was initially going to play the role of the lawman who comes in to save the day (now played by Jesse Plemons). But the story and script was reworked to focus on the morality at play in this heinous crime, with DiCaprio instead playing a more complicated character.
Apple TV+ picked up the film after Paramount Pictures grew uncomfortable with the budget, but true to Scorsese and DiCaprio’s passion for the big screen, the film is getting a robust theatrical release before it’s available on the streaming service. Paramount is handling the theatrical distribution.
Scorsese reunited with his “The Irishman” and “Silence” cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto on the project, which shot in Oklahoma at the real location where the events depicted took place. At a whopping 3 hours and 26 minutes, they spared no expense.
Watch the “Killers of the Flower Moon” trailer below. The film also stars Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins, Jillian Dion and Tantoo Cardinal.
The film will premiere exclusively in select theaters on Oct. 6, and wide on Oct. 20, before streaming globally on Apple TV+.
Hailing from Apple Studios, “Killers of the Flower Moon” was produced alongside Imperative Entertainment, Sikelia Productions and Appian Way. Producers are Scorsese, Dan Friedkin, Bradley Thomas and Daniel Lupi, with DiCaprio, Rick Yorn, Adam Sommer, Marianne Bower, Lisa Frechette, John Atwood, Shea Kammer and Niels Juul serving as executive producers.
