âKillers of the Flower Moonâ trailer: First look at Jason Isbell in new Scorsese film
Martin Scorsese’s long-awaited “Killers of the Flower Moon,” starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro, has another trailer — and it looks like we have our first glimpse at Alabama-born musician Jason Isbell in it.
The film, which will premiere at the Cannes Film Festival on May 20, features the Grammy-winning musician from Green Hill, Ala., in an on-screen role. And it looks like Isbell appears in scenes with DiCaprio, De Niro and the film’s surefire breakout star Lily Gladstone.
The premise, according to Apple’s official website: “At the turn of the 20th century, oil brought a fortune to the Osage Nation, who became some of the richest people in the world overnight. The wealth of these Native Americans immediately attracted white interlopers, who manipulated, extorted and stole as much Osage money as they could before resorting to murder.”
Based on David Grann’s 2017 book of the same name, the film explores the “improbable romance” Ernest Burkhart (DiCaprio) and Mollie Kyle (Gladstone) in what Apple calls “an epic western crime saga, where real love crosses paths with unspeakable betrayal.” The film also stars De Niro, Jesse Plemons, Brendan Fraser, John Lithgow, Isbell, Sturgill Simpson and others.
It marks the sixth collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio after “Gangs of New York,” “The Aviator,” “The Departed,” “Shutter Island” and “The Wolf of Wall Street.” It marks the 10th between the director and De Niro after classics like “Mean Streets,” “Taxi Driver,” “Raging Bull” and “Goodfellas.”
Isbell plays a character named Bill Smith. We did not spot him in the first teaser trailer, but he remains listed in the film’s cast, and now we have confirmation he makes the final cut (at least in the newest trailer; cuts can still be made between now and the October release). It marks his second on-screen credit in a fictional role following an appearance as a wedding guest in “Deadwood: The Movie” back in 2019. Isbell has also appeared as himself on the Showtime series “Billions.”
In the trailer, after we learn the premise of the series of murders of the people of the Osage Nation, we see a shot of what appears to be a funeral, with Gladstone and others grieving (with DiCaprio and De Niro) by her side, and Isbell in the foreground to the very right of the widescreen frame.
The film’s runtime is reported to be 206 minutes. In a recent interview with Deadline, Scorsese was asked about the near 3.5-hour length. He said, “I say to the audience out there, if there is an audience for this kind of thing, ‘Make a commitment. Your life might be enriched. This is a different kind of picture; I really think it is. Well, I’ve given it to you, so hey, commit to going to a theater to see this.’”
“Killers of the Flower Moon” will release in theaters everywhere Oct. 20, 2023. It will later stream on Apple TV+. Watch the trailer above.
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