Director Martin Scorsese will begin filming The Irishman soon. The long-gestating production was given a new lease of life when the movie rights were snapped up by STX Entertainment at Cannes this year for a reported $50 Million.
Reports indicate that the project may begin in February 2017. “Theoretically, we’ve talked about shooting this film next year in February or March,” Production Designer Dante Ferretti told Variety in a new interview.
Also referred to as I Heard You Paint Houses, the film is based on the book by Charles Brandt which follows the “biggest mob hit in history”.
De Niro’s role will be that of notorious mobster Frank “The Irishman,” Sheeran. Goodfellas actor Joe Pesci was initially said to have an important role in the project: his first in six years. But he dropped out eventually.
The Irishman will mark the first collaboration between Scorsese and The Godfather actor Al Pacino. This will be sthe tenth time that De Niro has worked with the filmmaker.
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Pesci’s most recent film was 2010 drama Love Ranch. Despite ‘repeatedly [telling] Scorsese no,’ the Casino director remains confident he can lure Pesci back.
Scorsese’s next film, Silence, stars Liam Neeson, Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield. It’ll be released int he UK on 6 January 2017.