Martin Scorsese Says ‘Absolutely No’ To ‘The Irishman’ As A TV Series: ‘The Point Of This Picture Is The Accumulation Of Detail’

By Shakiel Mahjouri. Published: 29 Nov 2019 9:32 PM

Martin Scorsese. Photo: Andrew H. Walker/Shutterstock

Martin Scorsese understands “The Irishman” is long but he says that is the point.

The legendary actor defended the Netflix film’s length and rejected the notion that it could have been released in chunks as a limited series. Scorsese, 77, assured he had nothing but respect for the medium of television but insisted it would not have been an appropriate platform for telling his story.

“You could say, ‘This is a long story, you can play it out over two seasons.’ I saw somebody mention that. Absolutely no,” the filmmaker told Entertainment Weekly. “I’ve never even thought of it.”

“The point of this picture is the accumulation of detail. It’s an accumulated cumulative effect by the end of the movie — which means you get to see from beginning to end [in one sitting] if you’re so inclined,” he continued. “A series is great. It’s wonderful. You can develop character and plot lines and worlds are recreated, but this wasn’t right for that.”

I created a viewing guide for everyone who thinks THE IRISHMAN is too damn long for one night. You're welcome! #scorsese #netflix #theirishman pic.twitter.com/sH06AxJ7he

— Alexander Dunerfors (@dunerfors) November 28, 2019

If you are one of the people who think “The Irishman” is too daunting for one sitting, Swedish-based entertainment journalist Alexander Dunerfors has you covered with this mini-series viewing guide seen above.

The film — which stars movie legends like Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci — has received widespread acclaim following its global premiere on Nov. 1. The project is on the shortlist of Oscar contenders.