Jacob Ant
Martin Scorsese, the famed director behind classics like Taxi Driver and Mean Streets, shared candid views on the evolution of the film industry in a recent interview with GQ. Ahead of his upcoming film, Killers of the Flower Moon, Scorsese lamented the transformation of Hollywood, drawing parallels between his early years in cinema and the current era dominated by franchise-heavy blockbusters.
He voiced concerns about major studios sidelining unique, personal voices in favor of easily marketed films with franchise potential. According to Scorsese, these big-budget, effects-laden movies verge on becoming “manufactured content,” and he questioned their long-term value to viewers.
Reminiscing about his past challenges, Scorsese mentioned difficulties he faced with producer Harvey Weinstein during the making of Gangs of New York. Similarly, Warner Bros.’s desire to turn The Departed into a franchise by altering the fates of the main characters underscored for Scorsese the shifting priorities in filmmaking. Interestingly, it was The Departed that won him his sole Oscar for Best Director.
Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon is gearing up for an October 20 release. The film, set to be widely released in theaters globally through a partnership between Apple and Paramount, will later stream on Apple TV+. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, and Lily Gladstone, the movie delves into the investigations of the Osage murders in 1920s Oklahoma.
