After years of attempting to get the film off the ground, Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Killers of the Flower Moon is finally getting underway as the Oklahoma Film + Music Office (OF+MO) and Apple Original Films has announced that principal photography is officially underway in Oklahoma.
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“We are thrilled to finally start production on Killers of the Flower Moon in Oklahoma,” Scorsese said in a statement. “To be able to tell this story on the land where these events took place is incredibly important and critical to allowing us to portray an accurate depiction of the time and people. We’re grateful to Apple, the Oklahoma Film and Music Office and The Osage Nation, especially all our Osage consultants and cultural advisors, as we prepare for this shoot. We’re excited to start working with our local cast and crew to bring this story to life on screen and immortalize a time in American history that should not be forgotten.”
Based on David Grann’s acclaimed 2017 best-selling non-fiction crime novel, the plot is set in 1920s Oklahoma and explores the serial murders of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that would later become known as the Reign of Terror.
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The ensemble roster for the film is led by Emmy nominee Jesse Plemons (Game Night) and Oscar winners Leonardo DiCaprio (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) and Robert De Niro (The Irishman) in their seventh and tenth respective collaborations with the Oscar-winning filmmaker. The cast also includes Lily Gladstone (First Cow), Tantoo Cardinal (Wind River), Cara Jade Myers (This Is Us), JaNae Collins (Fukry), Jillian Dion (Legion), William Belleau (The Twilight Saga: Eclipse), Louis Cancelmi (The Irishman), Jason Isbell and Sturgill Simpson (The Hunt).
Production of the film is being aided by the Osage Nation, who are helping to scout numerous locations across the state for potential filming while Chief Geoffrey M. Standing Bear has named Chad Renfro as Ambassador to the production, introducing the filmmaker and crew to cultural advisors, historians, local artisans and citizen to assist in portraying the story with authenticity and honesty.
“In recent meetings with Oklahoma Senators and House of Representative Members I made the point of how much their support for the movie industry has made a difference,” Chief Standing Bear said in a statement. “This is a very strong, lucrative business which directly benefits many Oklahomans, including the Sovereign Nations. It promotes financial opportunities and cultural recognition for all,” said Chief of the Osage Nation Geoffrey Standing Bear. “The funding from the State of Oklahoma along with the efforts of the Osage Nation have proven to be a big draw for this film in particular. We are now seeing the fruits of all of our efforts to bring this great movie production here and now!”
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Killers of the Flower Moon is being directed and produced by Scorsese on a script from he and Oscar winner and Emmy nominee Eric Roth (A Star is Born, Forrest Gump), with Imperative Entertainment’s Dan Friedkin also producing alongside Bradley Thomas, DiCaprio and Appian Way Productions.
(Photo Credit: TIZIANA FABI/AFP/GettyImages)
