We are on the verge of the World Premiere of what is likely the single most-anticipated film of the fall, “The Irishman.” Martin Scorsese’s crime epic has been in production for ages now and Netflix is said to have spent upwards of $160 million bringing the film to life. And if you’re someone that enjoys long films, you’re in luck, as it appears that the big budget has led to a super-sized film.
According to the official New York Film Festival website, Scorsese’s “The Irishman” was listed with a 210-minute run-time. Yep, 3.5 hours-worth of Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino crime goodness. Remember when people were freaking out about “Avengers: Endgame” being 3 hours long? Scorsese is here to remind you that films can easily eclipse that number.
However, shortly after that run-time was posted, NYFF removed the 210 minutes listing and now has the film listed without an official run-time. Does that mean Netflix is scared about drawing headlines about the film’s length before people can watch it? Or maybe Scorsese is still in the process of editing it down, and there’s no official, final length? Perhaps, it was a simple error? At this point, we don’t know.
That being said, does it actually surprise you that the filmmaker has crafted another long epic film? Scorsese has never been shy about releasing films that are super-sized in length and scope. That’s part of what makes him a master at what he does. And teaming with Netflix means that he doesn’t have to play by the traditional studio rules, as box office potential isn’t even on the radar.
And let’s be honest, judging by the source material and all the reports leading up to this film’s premiere, “The Irishman” is telling a story that spans decades and probably needs 3.5 hours just to tell the story. Hell, we shouldn’t be shocked at all, considering the real reason we’ve been waiting this long to see the film is because there’s so much money spent on making sure that the actors can be de-aged properly so that they can portray their characters over the course of decades.
So, whether or not “The Irishman” is 210 minutes isn’t a huge deal. We’re going to watch it either way. But if it does turn out to be 210 minutes, and you plan on seeing it during its limited theatrical run, definitely make sure you use the restroom prior to sitting down.
— The Playlist (@ThePlaylistNews) August 28, 2019
