Academy Award winner Martin Scorsese celebrated the release of a film that he waited a decade to make, according to a report from Inc., wherein he went all out with the de-aging technology, that is yet to prove its worth in the industry.
The Netflix film – The Irishman (2019) had Scorsese use the said technology to make the lead actors, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, and Robert De Niro, look younger to the point that he called it a “costly experiment.”
Scorsese, while attending the New York Film Festival, shared his thoughts on developing the film with the streamer with a reported budget of $160 million. A report from The Hollywood Reporter, in 2020, put the facts out in the open and noted that The Irishman may have cost Netflix upwards of $225 million.
Martin Scorsese Called The Irishman A Costly Experiment
Inc. reported that Scorsese took the film to Netflix as they gave him a high amount of creative control. The publication, however, noted that it was a ‘gamble’ for both parties as the director went overboard with giving the actors a 1950s look.
The director also expressed that Netflix didn’t make him compromise on the budget and filming front which took him 108 days to film 309 scenes.
Scorsese said (via Inc.) –
“It’s a costly experiment, but Ted [Sarandos] and everyone at Netflix said they would go with it. They actually backed the film and financed it and were creatively attuned to us.”
Scorsese, being able to land his ambitious experiment after a decade of writing, told WIRED that the actors were too old and he didn’t want them “talking to each other with golf balls on their faces.” Hence, the overuse of de-aging tech.
Al Pacino Was Stunned By Joe Pesci’s De-Aging
83-year-old Al Pacino could not believe when he looked that the de-aging tech worked like magic on Joe Pesci’s face. One of the producers, Jane Rosenthal, said that the technology has evolved a lot over the years.
Pacino said (via Inc.) –
“They showed me Joe getting out of the car and I thought, he looks great. Why does he look so good?”
The only thing that Netflix took away from Martin Scorsese is a wide theatrical release which, he ultimately felt was bearable as the actors and filmmakers have to adapt to the changing Hollywood environment as streaming services take the lead in developing projects.
The Irishman is currently streaming on Netflix.
Source: Inc.
