Acclaimed director Martin Scorsese has revealed that he drastically reshaped the script of his upcoming film, Killers of the Flower Moon, after realizing it was initially centered around “all the white guys.” The film, based on David Grann’s 2017 book, tells the story of the FBI’s investigation into a series of murders within the Osage Indian community in Oklahoma in the 1920s.
Scorsese and co-writer Eric Roth initially focused the narrative on the FBI’s perspective, with Leonardo DiCaprio set to play lead investigator Tom White. However, Scorsese soon realized that the story was being told from the outside in, and that the film needed a more nuanced approach.
The director decided to overhaul the script, shifting the focus to the Osage Nation and recasting DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart, a World War I veteran who becomes embroiled in a plot to steal riches from the Osage people. Lily Gladstone plays Mollie, an Osage woman who marries Burkhart, and Jesse Plemons takes on the role of the FBI agent investigating the murders.
Ahead of the release of the highly anticipated film Killers of the Flower Moon Martin Scorsese admitted he overhauled the script and re-cast leads after realizing he was writing a movie ‘all about the white guys’
Gladstone has spoken about the significant changes made to the script, revealing that she initially had three pages of dialogue, but struggled with the scenes. After the project was put on hold due to COVID, Gladstone assumed she had blown the audition, only to be asked to return a year later with a completely rewritten script.
Words like ‘searing and ‘masterpiece’ were bandied about by critics who managed to get their hands on a ticket to the first screening at the Cannes Film Festival in May
The film has received widespread critical acclaim, with many praising Scorsese’s bold decision to rework the script and shift the focus to the Osage Nation. The three-hour epic will receive a limited theatrical release on October 6, before streaming globally on Apple TV+ on October 20.
Scorsese worked closely with the Osage Nation to ensure the film’s accuracy and authenticity, consulting with Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear and involving hundreds of Osage people in the production.
The film’s premiere at the Cannes Film Festival was met with a nine-minute standing ovation, with critics hailing it as a masterpiece and DiCaprio’s performance as one of his best.
Scorsese unveiled the $200 million film at Cannes, debuting a sweeping American epic about greed and exploitation on the bloody plains of an Osage Nation reservation in 1920s Oklahoma
Killers of the Flower Moon marks a significant departure from Scorsese’s previous work, offering a powerful and thought-provoking exploration of a little-known chapter in American history.