Martin Scorsese's 'The Irishman' to begin filming this August for a 2019 release

Image from Vulture

By Darian Scalamoni

            One of the long in development dream projects is FINALLY coming to fruition thanks to Netflix. According to Collider, Martin Scorsese’s (Raging Bull, The Wolf of Wall Street) long-gestating gangster film, The Irishman starring Robert De Niro and Al Pacino will finally begin filming this August with a plan in place to have a release in 2019 for an awards run.

            The project that has been in development hell for about four years is based on the 2003 book, I Heard You Paint Houses written by Charles Brandt and follows the career of mobster Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran, who will be played by De Niro. The film is also set to involve the death of Jimmy Hoffa, who will be played by Pacino. The Irishman will use digital de-aging technology for both De Niro and Pacino to our knowledge which is why it will take over a year to see this movie on the streaming service (and possibly theaters if it gets a theatrical release). Industrial Light & Magic will handle those effects and have done similar work in the past as recently as Captain America: Civil War and the upcoming Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.

            The movie will mark only the third feature in which Pacino and De Niro appear together, the others being Heat and the incredibly disappointing, Righteous Kill. The cast also includes Bobby Cannavale, Harvey Keitel and the returning, Joe Pesci. This has now moved to the top of my most-anticipated movies of 2019 right beside Star Wars: Episode IX.

            Are you guys excited for The Irishman to finally go behind cameras? Do you think the movie will live up to the hype or do you think this should’ve been filmed 15, 20 or even 25 years ago? Sound off in the comments and let us know!