Martin Scorsese has been outspoken in recent years about blockbuster franchises, with some parts of the media ridiculously trying to whip up a feud between the legendary director and the MCU. But it’s not just been the last decade that Scorsese has struggled with how Hollywood works, as he has fought studios over some of his own films across the years. Some of his experiences making movies were so unpleasant, that he frequently considered quitting all together.
One such moment came along when Martin Scorsese was making The Departed – the movie which finally won him the Oscar after many, many nominations. The Departed is based on some of the best thriller movies – Andrew Lau’s Infernal Affairs trilogy, so Warner Bros was clearly wondering why The Departed couldn’t be a trilogy too.
They also reportedly asked Scorsese if at least one of the film’s stars – Leonardo DiCaprio and Matt Damon – could live to see another day. As Scorsese recently told GQ; “What they wanted was a franchise. It wasn’t about a moral issue of a person living or dying.” It was about having a character that could survive for another film.
Scorsese remembers a test screening where everyone walked out ecstatic. “And then the studio guys walked out and they were very sad, because they didn’t want just that movie. They wanted the franchise.”
Martin Scorsese’s new movie – Killers of the Flower Moon – is a three-and-a-half hour historical epic based on the true story of a series of murders which occur in Oklahoma’s Osage nation during the 1920s. Once oil is found on Osage land and the tribe becomes rich, they are targeted by powerful white people who want the money for themselves. The subsequent murder investigation takes place during the birth of J. Edgar Hoover’s new FBI.
You can find out more in our Killers of the Flower Moon review. Check out our guide to the best drama movies and the best movies based on a true story. For something completely different, find out what we know so far about Avatar 3.