Whenever I hear about the film The Irishman, which is legendary director Martin Scorsese’s next big movie over at Netflix, I’m filled with both a feeling of excitement in dread. Of course, I’m excited that it’s a new Scorsese movie, but it’s three g***amn hours long! That, coupled with the technology required to bring it to life, and therefore hefty budget, meant that it wasn’t easy to get made.

In fact, when all said and done, it looks like the film is nearing the $160 million mark — and that’s not even for a movie with lots of explosions and superhero costumes! Speaking at a press conference at the NY Film Festival, Scorsese spoke to this difficulty, saying:

RELATED – The Irishman Official Trailer Sees Martin Scorsese Return To The Crime Genre

“We couldn’t get the backing, that was key, for years. Ultimately it was Ted Sarandos. [Lucasfilm’s Industrial Light & Magic] had come up with the solution for the de-aging process that wouldn’t interfere with Bob and Al talking to each other with helmets or tennis balls. It’s a costly experiment. Ted and everyone at Netflix said they’d go with it, backed the film, financed it and were creatively attuned to us. There were some notes from time to time … It was an interesting hybrid, I guess, in a way how you balance between what a film is and what is viewed at home and in a theater or both. We’re in an extraordinary time of change. We felt the picture had to be made for ourselves really.”

Without a doubt, this was Netflix pulling for some serious prestige. With Martin Scorsese under their belts, they’ll be hoping for some more serious Oscar attention, that’s for sure. But will it work out for them? Netflix seems to have an eternal struggle with festivals and theaters, so hopefully, they’ll be able to make things work for those purposes, even though they didn’t manage to work out a traditional theatrical release with theater owners.

What do you think of Scorsese’s comments? Let us know your thoughts down below!

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SOURCE: THR