Martin Scorsese begins 'Killers of the Flower Moon' shooting with DiCaprio and De Niro

Killers of the Flower Moon is an upcoming Western historical crime mystery thriller drama film. Directed and produced by Academy Award winner Martin Scorsese, the much-anticipated project hails from Apple Studios. After rounding up the ensemble cast, the shooting of the movie has now officially commenced. 

Martin Scorsese begins 'Killers of the Flower Moon' filming

The Oklahoma Film + Music (OF+MO) and Apple Original Films have announced that the principal photography on Killers of the Flower Moon movie has begun on April 19, 2021, in Oklahoma. The film is based on David Grann’s best-selling non-fiction book with the same name published in 2007. It tells the story of the 1920s Osage murders when several Native Americans of the Osage Nation were killed after oil deposits were discovered beneath their Oklahoma land. The murders lead the then-newly formed FBI to investigate the case. 

Killers of the Flower Moon cast has Academy Award winners Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Emmy Award nominee Jesse Plemons in key roles. It also includes Lily Gladstone, Tantoo Cardinal, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins, Jillian Dion, William Belleau, Louis Cancelmi, Tatanka Means, Michael Abbott Jr., Pat Healy, Scott Shepherd, and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriters Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson. DiCaprio plays Ernest Burkhart, the nephew of a powerful local rancher, essayed by DeNiro. Gladston portrays Mollie Burkhart, an Osage woman married to Ernest, while Plemons is the lead FBI detective who investigates the murders. 

Martin Scorsese told okfilmmusic.org that they are thrilled to finally start production on Killers of the Flower Moon in Oklahoma. He stated that to be able to tell this story on the land where these events took place is "incredibly important" and critical to allowing them to portray an accurate depiction of the time and people. The filmmaker mentioned that they are grateful to Apple, the Oklahoma Film and Music Office, and The Osage Nation, especially all their Osage consultants and cultural advisors, as they prepare for this shoot. He noted that they are excited to start working with their local cast and crew to bring this story to life on screen and immortalize a time in American history that should not be forgotten. 

The screenplay is adapted by Academy Award winner and Emmy Award nominee Eric Roth (A Star is Born, Forrest Gump) and Martin Scorsese. Imperative Entertainment’s Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Appian Way Productions are financing alongside Scorsese. The filming is expected to continue through the summer. 

Promo Image Source: martinscorsese_ Instagram