Netflix has announced the theatrical release date and streaming launch for Martin Scorsese’s “The Irishman.” The historical crime epic starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci will kick off its Oscars qualifying run in Los Angeles and New York movie theaters beginning Nov. 1, and four weeks later will launch globally on Netflix on Nov. 27, the day before Thanksgiving.
Netflix will also expand theatrical release in to-be-announced U.S. and in U.K. cities beginning Nov. 8, with additional U.S. and international cities to follow on Nov. 15 and Nov. 22.
“The Irishman” will hold its world premiere on the first night of the New York Film Festival on Friday, Sept. 27.
Netflix’s true-crime story, stars De Niro as a World War II veteran turned mafia hitman named Frank Sheeran. Pacino plays Jimmy Hoffa, the former president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, who went missing in 1975. Hoffa’s body was never found and his fate was speculated about for decades.
The film uses digital technology to de-age De Niro, Pacino and Joe Pesci.
Other co-stars include Harvey Keitel, Ray Romano, Bobby Cannavale, Anna Paquin, Stephen Graham, Stephanie Kurtzuba, Jack Huston, Kathrine Narducci, Jesse Plemons, Domenick Lombardozzi, Paul Herman, Gary Basaraba and Marin Ireland.
It’s the third time De Niro and Pacino have shared the screen, following 1995’s “Heat” and 2008’s “Righteous Kill.” (They also appeared, though not together, in “The Godfather, Part 2.”)
Written by Steven Zaillian based on Charles Brandt’s 2003 Sheeran biography “I Heard You Paint Houses,” “The Irishman” marks DeNiro’s ninth time working with Martin Scorsese; their previous collaborations include “Mean Streets,” “Taxi Driver,” “New York, New York,” “Raging Bull,” “The King of Comedy,” “Goodfellas,” “Cape Fear” and “Casino.” It’s the first time that Scorsese has directed Pacino.
6 Movies and TV Shows Inspired by Gangster Whitey Bulger, From 'The Departed' to 'The Blacklist' (Photos)
James "Whitey" Bulger, the notorious Boston crime boss who was serving a life sentence in prison and who also served as an informant to the FBI, died on Tuesday at the age of 89. His story has inspired a handful of gangster characters across film and TV, including one direct adaptation of his life story.
"The Departed" (2006)
Jack Nicholson's role as mob boss Frank Costello in Martin Scorsese's Boston gangster drama "The Departed" is very loosely based on Whitey Bulger, though Scorsese's film is actually a remake of the Hong Kong film "Infernal Affairs" from 2002.
Warner Bros.
"Brotherhood" (2006 - 2008)
Jason Isaacs and Jason Clarke played two Irish-American brothers, one a crime lord and the other a politician, in a drama inspired by the relationship between Whitey Bulger and his brother Billy. "Brotherhood," however, is set in Providence, Rhode Island as opposed to Boston.
Showtime
"The Blacklist" (2013-present)
NBC's drama starring James Spader as the country's most notorious criminal Raymond "Red" Reddington was inspired by Whitey Bulger's capture and his relationship as an informant to the FBI. Spader's portrayal, though, may have a bit more Hannibal Lecter in him than Whitey Bulger.
NBC
"Ray Donovan" (2013)
James Woods portrayed a Bulger-esque Boston crime boss named Sully Sullivan in the first season of the Showtime drama "Ray Donovan." Woods donned a wicked Boston accent opposite Steven Bauer before meeting an untimely end at the hands of a double crosser.
Showtime
"Whitey: United States of America vs. James J. Bulger" (2014)
Joe Berlinger's documentary captured the trial of Whitey Bulger to use as a springboard to make a broader point about corruption within law enforcement. He examines the extent of Bulger's close-ties and relationship with the FBI and the Department of Justice as an informant.
CNN Films
"Black Mass" (2015)
Director Scott Cooper finally brought the true story of Whitey Bulger to the screen in the 2015 drama "Black Mass." Cooper recruited Johnny Depp to give a vampiric performance as the ruthless mob boss, with his character's thin hair, heavy makeup and massive forehead doing some heavy lifting.
Warner Bros.
1 of 7
The Boston mob boss was found dead in prison at 89-years-old
James "Whitey" Bulger, the notorious Boston crime boss who was serving a life sentence in prison and who also served as an informant to the FBI, died on Tuesday at the age of 89. His story has inspired a handful of gangster characters across film and TV, including one direct adaptation of his life story.