Martin Scorsese’s long-gestating return to the criminal underworld, and his long-awaited reunion with former muse Robert De Niro, The Irishman, is headed to an unexpected place: Netflix.
Indiewire broke the news moments ago, surprising just about anyone who’s been eagerly anticipating this one. It’s a massive coup for the streaming service, which is taking over the entertainment industry in so many facets. We aren’t long away from Netflix being a player come Oscar night.
The film is based on the Charles Brandt novel I Hear You Paint Houses, which tells the story of a mob hitman who is trying to hide away from his previous life of crime.
The Irishman was originally a Paramount release, but re-shuffling at the top of the studio put Scorsese’s film in limbo. Enter Netflix, never one to shy away from big projects with even bigger names. Per the Indiewire report: “Scorsese’s movie is a risky deal, and Paramount is not in the position to take risks. This way, he can make the project he wants.”
I can’t emphasize how big this is.
We don’t have a concrete release date yet for The Irishman, but one thing is for sure: Netflix is making major moves in entertainment, and this film is finally going to see the light of day.
