Earlier last month it was confirmed that Martin Scorsese's much anticipated "The Irishman" would start shooting this year and that Netflix has officially greenlit the project for a tentative 2019 release. We can report, according to Deadline, that the shoot will begin next month.
Now comes the news that Scorsese's "The Irishman" has all, but finalized its casting, which is a dream who's who of Hollywood legends. It'll be a reunion of sorts for Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro, one of the great actor/director partnerships in cinematic history, whom haven't made a film together since 1995's "Casino." If that isn't enough to wet your appetites, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel and Al Pacino are all taking part as well.
Wait, did he just say Joe Pesci? Yes, I did. De Niro has been saying for months now that he's been trying to convince the retired Pesci to come back for "The Irishman." Rumor has it that De Niro was calling Pesci non-stop on the phone, but that the actor didn't seem interested. De Niro's relentless pursuit of Pesci seems to have finally worked.
Deadline:
"Pesci’s involvement comes after the actor said no multiple times (some say about 50); a deal was just sealed this week. He will portray Russell Bufalino, a Mafia boss out of PA and has been long suspected of having a hand in the disappearance of Hoffa. Pesci and Scorsese have done three films together."
"The Irishman will mark the first time that Pacino and Scorsese will have worked together and the first time all the Italian greats are on the big screen together. The film starts shooting next month in and around New York and will continue through December."
"Producers of The Irishman are De Niro, Fabrica’s Gaston Pavlovich, Jane Rosenthal, Scorcese, Randall Emmett and Emma Tillinger Koskoff. Also on board: Scorsese’s longtime collaborators Ellen Lewis (casting director) and Thelma Schoonmaker (editor). The film is expected to get a small theatrical release to qualify for Oscar."
Steve Zaillian (“Gangs Of New York,” “Schindler’s List,” “Moneyball,“ “The Night Of“), is helming the screenplay for this one, which is based on the book “I Heard You Paint Houses” by Charles Brandt. Zaillian is a hot commodity these days after writing and directing the best TV series of 2016, HBO's brilliant dissection of the justice system "The Night Of."
Official Synopsis:
"The Irishman" tells the story of Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran — a hitman tied to the Bufalino crime family that was a high ranking officer in the international brotherhood of teamsters, was tied to a possible plot in the JFK assassination and who claimed, on his deathbed, to have murdered Teamster leader and iconic cold case Jimmy Hoffa.
"The Irishman" tells the story of Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran — a hitman tied to the Bufalino crime family that was a high ranking officer in the international brotherhood of teamsters, was tied to a possible plot in the JFK assassination and who claimed, on his deathbed, to have murdered Teamster leader and iconic cold case Jimmy Hoffa.