NetflixAfter a short theatrical release, Martin Scorsese’s next gangster epic The Irishman will hit Netflix on November 27 this year.
The streaming behemoth officially announced today (August 27) that the long-awaited film will kick off a short release in cinemas on November 1, with screenings expected in the UK on November 8, and additional screenings scattered across the month.
Scorsese is an Oscar-winning gangster maestro, gifting the world with cinematic treasures like Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino, The Departed and The Wolf of Wall Street.
Check out the trailer for The Irishman below:
Based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt, the movie will chronicle mob hitman Frank Sheeran’s (Robert De Niro) story and possible involvement with the infamous disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa.
The full Netflix synopsis reads:
An epic saga of organized crime in post-war America told through the eyes of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran, a hustler and hitman who worked alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th century.
Spanning decades, the film chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa, and offers a monumental journey through the hidden corridors of organized crime: its inner workings, rivalries and connections to mainstream politics.
NetflixThe Irishman is set to have its world premiere at the New York Film Festival on September 27. It will also close the BFI London Film Festival on October 13.
It isn’t all peaches-and-cream, though. Four weeks may be the longest theatrical window Netflix have provided for a film before they drop it on their platform for global streaming – Roma, last year’s Oscar-winner, was afford a three-week stint in cinemas – but major chains in the US aren’t having it.
Cinemagoers who frequent AMC, Cineplex, Regal or Cinemark establishments won’t get the chance to see Scorsese’s highly-anticipated flick, as they couldn’t come to an agreement with Netflix, according to Deadline.
NetflixAccording to The Hollywood Reporter, cinema chains insist on a 90-day window between an exclusive theatrical release and home entertainment.
While Netflix did give Roma a huge Oscar push last year – Vulture report that they spent $60 million on the Academy Awards campaign – The Irishman is almost destined for nominations, if not glory.
It’s been brewing for a long, long time – Scorsese confirmed it would be his next film in 2014, after he’d completed work on religious drama Silence.
Not only will it see the diretcor reunite with Gangs of New York screenwriter Steve Zaillian, but De Niro, Joe Pesci and Al Pacino – amazingly his first role in a Scorsese joint – are all part of the ensemble.
After years of waiting, the next few months are going to be the most agonising – I’ll be a raging bull by November.
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After graduating from Glasgow Caledonian University with an NCTJ and BCTJ-accredited Multimedia Journalism degree, Cameron ventured into the world of print journalism at The National, while also working as a freelance film journalist on the side, becoming an accredited Rotten Tomatoes critic in the process. He’s now left his Scottish homelands and took up residence at UNILAD as a journalist.