Leonardo DiCaprio and director Martin Scorsese have teamed up once again for the forthcoming movie Killers of the Flower Moon, based on the 2017 nonfiction book of the same name written by David Grann.
“When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one — until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery,” the Apple TV+ description of the film reads.
DiCaprio stars in the adaptation as Ernest Burkhart, who is married to Mollie Kyle (Lily Gladstone). Ernest’s uncle, William K. Hale, will be portrayed by Robert De Niro.
While the Killers of the Flower Moon book focuses largely on the formation of the FBI and its investigation into the Osage murders, the film will also tell Ernest and Mollie’s love story.
“After a certain point, I realized I was making a movie about all the white guys,” Scorsese told Time magazine in September 2023. “Meaning I was taking the approach from the outside in, which concerned me.”
Scorsese praised Gladstone’s “fierceness and serenity” as an actress. “It’s encased in this intelligence — the eyes say it all,” the filmmaker added.
Chad Renfro — an interior designer who became involved in the film’s production — told Time Scorsese “made a story of trust and betrayal.” The director also worked closely with Osage Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear to make the movie.
“It’s not a white-savior story,” Gladstone told Vulture in August 2023 of the film. “It’s the Osage saying, ‘Do something. Here’s money. Come help us.’”
Keep scrolling for everything to know about Killers of the Flower Moon so far:
When Will ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Be Released?
The movie is set to hit theaters on October 20, 2023. The film will later debut on Apple TV+, but no date has been set just yet.
Who Is Starring in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’?
Other than DiCaprio, Gladstone and De Niro, the cast includes Jesse Plemons (Tom White), Tantoo Cardinal (Lizzie Q), John Lithgow (Prosecutor Leaward), Brendan Fraser (W. S. Hamilton) and Cara Jade Myers (Anna Brown).
What Did the ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Trailer Reveal?
The film’s trailer briefly introduced audiences to the love story between Ernest and Mollie. It also set up De Niro’s character as the story’s antagonist.
“The Osage, their time is over,” he says at one point. “We’ve got to take back control of our home.”
Is ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ Based on a True Story?
The movie is adapted from the book of the same name, which details how the FBI investigated the murders of indigenous people in Osage County, Oklahoma, during the early 1920s. While 24 Osage people were killed in what was referred to as the “Reign of Terror,” the book’s author, Grann, speculated that there were likely more deaths.
Osage Nation’s Chief Standing Bear reflected on the past events as a “deep betrayal” of his people during a Killers of the Flower Moon press conference in May 2023.
“My people suffered greatly, and to this very day, those effects are with us,” he added. “But I can say, on behalf of the Osage, Marty Scorsese and his team have restored trust, and we know that trust will not be betrayed.”
