Only a select number of directors and actors ever reach the exalted status of being a genuine Hollywood legend. Not every modern-day megastar of cinema will have the longevity to achieve that lofty position, while others won’t ever receive the kind of critical acclaim to be bestowed that title. Four people who undoubtedly have though are Martin Scorsese, Robert DeNiro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci, all of whom became icons long ago. That’s why Martin Scorsese’s new film The Irishman, starring the three Oscar winners, has nearly impossible expectations. But the first intense trailer for the film shows that with all of that talent, they might just live up to them anyway.
Based on the non-fiction book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt, The Irishman spans decades, in “an epic saga of organized crime in post-war America told through the eyes of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran, a hustler and hitman who worked alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th Century.” The film revolves around one of the most infamous mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa.It also marks two momentous occasions. The first is the return of Joe Pesci to the silver screen after he retired years ago. The other is that while Robert DeNiro has worked with Martin Scorsese numerous times, this is the first time the director has ever had Al Pacino is one of his films, which seems like it can’t possibly be right.
Sometimes even legends never cross paths, but that’s just another reason expectations for this movie are so high.
While The Irishman–which also stars Harvey Keitel, Anna Paquin, Bobby Cannavale, and Ray Romano–is produced by Netflix, it will debut on September 27 as the first movie at this year’s New York Film Festival. Deadline reports it will then arrive in select theaters, starting L.A. and New York City before expanding around the country, on November 1. It will be released in the UK on November 8.
Netflix will give the movie a 27-day theatrical run before making it available on the streaming site the day before Thanksgiving. However, no major movie chains will carry the film, since despite being in theaters for a record-time by Netflix standards, it will still be well short of the typical three month waiting period before being available in homes major chains require.
Featured Image: Netflix