Joe Pesci Comes Out Of Retirement, Confirmed For Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Irishman’

For most actors, if Martin Scorsese comes calling, you don’t ask any questions, and clear your calendar. However, Joe Pesci is not like everybody else. Even though he’s made three pictures with the director and his best friend Robert De Niro — “Raging Bull,” “Goodfellas,” “Casino” — Pesci has been very resistant to get back in front of the camera. The actor has reportedly been turning down a chance to star in Scorsese’s developing “The Irishman” for quite some time now, and had pretty much settled into retirement (don’t forget, he also said no to starring in Louis C.K.‘s “Horace And Pete). However, it seems Pesci’s arm has been twisted hard enough to get him out of the armchair.

READ MORE: Martino Scorsese Says Don’t Expect Another ‘Goodfellas’ With ‘The Irishman’

Deadline reports that Joe Pesci is joining “The Irishman,” with Al Pacino, Harvey Keitel, and Bobby Cannavale all confirmed. De Niro will be leading what is easily Netflix’s most high profile film to date, a drama that will explore the life of Frank Sheeran, a high-ranking officer in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters with rumored ties to the deaths of President Kennedy and Jimmy Hoffa. The film is based on the book  “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt, and will feature CGI technology to de-age De Niro for certain scenes and sequences. Rodrigo Prieto (“Silence,” “The Wolf Of Wall Street”) will be the cinematographer on the movie, while Steve Zaillian (“The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo,”The Night Of”) has penned the script.

Filming will begin next month in New York and continue through December. No word yet on a release date, but Netflix is expected to give “The Irishman” a theatrical release for Oscar consideration, so next fall sounds like a strong bet. We certainly can’t wait to see this dream team — Scorsese, De Niro, Pesci, Pacino, Keitel — working together.