The first image of Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s upcoming western “Killers Of The Flower Moon” has been released online.
Set in 1920s Oklahoma, “Killers Of The Flower Moon” marks the sixth pairing of DiCaprio and Scorsese, who also reunites with Robert De Niro for their ninth feature film together. Their latest collaboration is based on the bestselling non-fiction book by David Grann about the investigation of the serial “accidents” that plagued the Osage Indian nation — nearly all of whom were beneficiaries of a large windfall after oil was discovered on their reservation.
In the new image released by Apple Studios, DiCaprio’s character Ernest Burkhart is seated at a table with Lily Gladstone’s Mollie Kyle, an Osage woman who falls for Ernest. In the film, DiCaprio plays the son of a powerful rancher named William Hale (De Niro) who has controlled his own land for decades, seemingly above the law.
The first look at the film shows Ernest as he visits Mollie in an attempt to woo her and access her fortunes. The pair eventually wed and, as the years go by, her family members die mysterious deaths. Her relations’ deaths consolidate their wealth into Mollie’s accounts as her husband’s ruthless and cold-blooded family grows richer and more powerful.
“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,” Scorsese said in a statement about the production. “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.”
Jesse Plemons co-stars in the film alongside Canadian actress Tantoo Cardinal and singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson.
“Killers Of The Flower Moon” kicked off production on April 19 in Oklahoma after initially being set for filming last March before the pandemic. The movie is expected to be released in 2022.
