For Osages hoping for a fall release of the highly anticipated film, “Killers of the Flower Moon,” they may have to wait a little longer.
According to recent reports in Deadline and Variety, Apple has pushed back the release date of the film to coincide with the Cannes Film Festival in May 2023.
The Apple original film, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Lily Gladstone, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons, is an Eric Roth adaptation of David Grann’s bestselling book, “Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI.” The book details the true story of the systematic murders of Osage tribal members for their oil wealth in the 1920s and how the investigation formed the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to the reports, the delay in the film’s release is to give it a chance at major awards, such as the Oscars. The film will have a theatrical release through Paramount after it premieres at various film festivals. The film will also stream on Apple TV+.
Filming officially wrapped in fall of 2021, but director Martin Scorsese and film crew returned to Pawhuska in May to film a community dance scene on the Osage Nation campus. Hundreds of Osages who took part in the film’s production as crew, extras or cast members, were invited to take part in the scene and invited friends and family. The scene was filmed toward the end of the day as the sun went down. Many participants took photos with Scorsese afterward, and other crew members who became close with the community.
The Osage News has spoken off the record with Osages who were involved with the filming but since they are bound by non-disclosure agreements, they cannot speak about their experience until after the film premieres.
The film’s cast boasts some of the best actors in Hollywood, Native and non-Native. The film also stars Brendan Fraser, John Lithgow, Tatanka Means, Michael Abbott Jr., Pat Healy, Scott Shepherd, William Belleau, Louis Cancelmi, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Tantoo Cardinal, Cara Jade Myers, JaNae Collins and Jillian Dion.
An official release date for the film has not been announced by Apple.
