Killers of the Flower Moon (film)

Killers of the Flower Moon
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Martin Scorsese
Screenplay by	Eric Roth Martin Scorsese
Based on	Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
Produced by	Dan Friedkin Bradley Thomas Martin Scorsese Daniel Lupi
Starring	Leonardo DiCaprio Robert De Niro Lily Gladstone
Cinematography	Rodrigo Prieto
Edited by	Thelma Schoonmaker
Music by	Robbie Robertson
Production companies	Apple Studios Imperative Entertainment Sikelia Productions Appian Way Productions
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures Apple Original Films (through Apple TV+)
Release dates	May 20, 2023 (2023-05-20) (Cannes) October 20, 2023 (2023-10-20) (United States)
Running time	206 minutes[1]
Country	United States
Languages	English Osage
Budget	$200 million[2]
Box office	$157 million[3][4]

Killers of the Flower Moon^[a] is a 2023 American epic Western crime drama film co-written, produced, and directed by Martin Scorsese. Eric Roth and Scorsese based their screenplay on the 2017 non-fiction book by David Grann.^[7][8] Set in 1920s Oklahoma, it focuses on a series of murders of Osage members and relations in the Osage Nation after oil was discovered on tribal land. The tribal members had retained mineral rights on their reservation, but a corrupt local political boss sought to steal the wealth.^[9]

Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone lead an ensemble cast, also including Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow, and Brendan Fraser. It is the sixth feature film collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio, the tenth between Scorsese and De Niro,^[10] and the first between Scorsese and both actors overall (they previously all collaborated on the 2015 short film The Audition), and the eleventh and final between Scorsese and composer Robbie Robertson, who died two months prior to the film's release. The film is dedicated to Robertson.^[11]

Development began in March 2016 when Imperative Entertainment won the adaptation rights to the book. Scorsese and DiCaprio were attached to the film in 2017, with production expected to begin in early 2018. Following several pushbacks and delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, production was scheduled to begin in February 2021, with Apple TV+ confirmed to finance and distribute the film alongside Paramount Pictures. Principal photography ultimately took place between April and October 2021, in Osage and Washington counties, Oklahoma. The film was produced by Scorsese's Sikelia Productions and DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions, with its $200 million budget reportedly the largest amount ever spent on a film shoot in Oklahoma.^[12]

Killers of the Flower Moon premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on May 20, 2023. It was theatrically released in the United States on October 20, 2023, by Paramount Pictures and Apple Original Films. The film grossed $157 million worldwide, and received critical acclaim, with praise for Scorsese's direction, the screenplay, production values, editing, cinematography, musical score, and cast performances (especially DiCaprio, Gladstone, and De Niro). It won Best Film at the National Board of Review and was named one of the top 10 films of 2023 by the American Film Institute.^[13] It was also nominated for ten Academy Awards (including Best Picture), seven Golden Globe Awards (including Best Motion Picture – Drama, and with Gladstone winning Best Actress), nine British Academy Film Awards, and three SAG Awards (with Gladstone winning Best Actress).

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