Now that he’s got one dream project out of the way with the upcoming “Silence,” Martin Scorsese is looking to get yet another long developing movie off the ground — “The Irishman.” And after years of being talked about, the wheels are in motion to finally make it happen. But there is still a hurdle to cross — Paramount needs to finalize their deal to sell off the international rights to Fábrica de Cine, who financed “Silence,” in time for them to bring it to the Cannes marketplace next week. But should that happen, “The Irishman” could finally be well on its way to being made.
The movie would bring together the powerhouse trio of Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci in the Steve Zaillian (“Gangs Of New York,” “Schindler’s List,” “Moneyball“)-penned adaptation of “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt, which tells the true story of Frank Sheeran, a WWII veteran who led a colorful life as a high-ranking officer in the International Brotherhood of Teamsters while also dabbling in organized crime as a highly-sought-after hitman, with rumored ties to the deaths of President Kennedy and Jimmy Hoffa.
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However, it should be noted that the movie comes saddled with a $100 million budget, and that none of the actors have officially signed on just yet. Meanwhile, Deadline pegs the chances of everything coming together in time for the Cannes marketplace at about 50/50. In other words, international pre-sales are going to be needed to offset that budget, and until that happens, “The Irishman” won’t be rolling in front of cameras.
So far, however, it’s one we’re eager to see happen, with each new detail that arrives offering an exciting window at what the movie could be. Last fall, De Niro teased that Scorsese might be using ‘Benjamin Button‘-esque de-aging technology for earlier sections of the story, which is a fascinating prospect.
So keep your fingers and toes crossed that maybe after one dream project, Scorsese can make another.