Could Silence be Martin Scorsese’s last film that gets a traditional theatrical release? Probably not, but that doesn’t make the news that the iconic director’s next film, The Irishman, will be released directly through Netflix any less stunning. Not only do Scorsese films play almost exclusively better on the big screen, but the idea that even Scorsese is opting for (or being forced to opt for) streaming releases over traditional release models is just one sign of the massive shifts happening in entertainment.
According to reports from IndieWire, Scorsese and his team had originally planned to release the movie via Paramount. However, Paramount Chairman Brad Grey is not staying with the studio and as any industry scholar can tell you that means all of the projects under his purview or that he was closely connected to basically go under review. Netflix has not yet commented on the reported deal, but a source relays that “Scorsese’s movie is a risky deal, and Paramount is not in the position to take risks. This way, he can make the project he wants.”
Making the project he wants is a good thing to hear, but it is still jarring to hear that to do so means that Netflix has to step in, especially seeing as this film is probably one of Scorsese’s biggest locks for success in recent memory. It’s a gangster movie featuring Robert De Niro, for goodness sake! It’s a changing time in the entertainment industry and “money talks” has never been more true when the bottom line is as risky as it is here. Gangster movie or not, many studios are probably looking at this acquisition as “the movie after Silence, which didn’t even make a play for major Oscar wins” and on top of that this project is costing $100M dollars.
Even with all the evidence that points to the Netflix acquisition (which includes worldwide rights) being the best choice for this specific project, it will still feel weird to prepare for a Scorsese movie to drop at midnight Pacific time on a random Friday. However, The Irishman has been in the works for the better part of a decade and in his mind for longer, so it should still be an exciting moment. Scorsese still has a deal with Paramount through 2019 so this might not be the goodbye to Good Ol’ Marty on the big screen after all. That doesn’t make it any less of a shocking turn of events.
(via Indiewire)
