Martin Scorsese’s latest film, The Irishman, has been talked up for so long and in such detail that it’s probably one of the most hyped releases of 2019’s undercard. We’ve gotten all sorts of information, from Scorsese's usage of expensive de-aging tech to being able to bring out a murderer’s row in casting Al Pacino, Robert De Niro and recently un-retired Joe Pesci, painting it as a must-see feature.
But we still don’t know what is arguably the most important piece of information: when the movie is going to be released. While we still don’t have an answer on that front, there is one cool new fact that we’ve learned that should help fans out for now: the film will be making its premiere at the New York Film Festival on September 27.
While that’s surely not very comforting for the multitude of Netflix subscribers who have been waiting, at the very least, since The Irishman dropped a very vague teaser to find out when its heading their way, it is a step in the right direction, that direction being the one that assures us that yes, this movie is filmed and it’s not a fever dream/tax shelter.
As The Playlist has reported that this would be the selected film to open the 57th New York Film Festival, The Irishman almost feels like a shoo-in for such an honor, as Martin Scorsese’s status as a proud New Yorker probably all but locked this choice in for him. Also, it helps that the story of De Niro’s Frank Sheehan, and his ties to northeastern elements such as the Pennsylvania mob and the Teamsters union, would fit perfectly in the very region it captures.
The Irishman might be one of the most crucial films for Netflix in 2019, as the supposed failure of Triple Frontier probably has the studio worried about how much this new, and quite expensive, Scorsese picture will do for its profit picture. One could imagine the delay in nailing the film’s exact release date could partially be due to the fact that the streaming giant just might want to try and play ball to get it into as many theaters as possible.
Should Netflix be able to mend wounds with the major exhibitors such as AMC, Regal or Cinemark, there’s a possibility that they could have The Irishman play out as a wide release. Though that doesn’t seem possible, considering the company will more than likely not budge on their insistence on a shorter window from theatrical premiere to in-home debut; and without that key sticking point, major theater chains will probably turn this one away without even blinking.
An exact release date still evades the viewing public that anticipates The Irishman oh so hotly. However, this could mean that there will be a new, more substantial trailer dropping in the near future. Even if the debut window for the film isn’t specifically given, it’d be nice to see more than just two expertly crafted promo stills for this Netflix drama.
It should be noted that those stills, while leaving us wanting more in terms of a trailer, do seem to possibly show some of the first anti-aging techniques used on Robert De Niro’s Sheehan and Al Pacino’s Jimmy Hoffa. Sadly, we don’t see much of Joe Pesci’s Russell Bufalino, except for a side profile shot of him at a bar with De Niro. Oddly enough, considering the drought that’s come before this moment, this is still pretty satisfying. Let’s hope that curiosity soon pays off, with both a shiny new trailer and a calendar date to circle in anticipation.
The Irishman premieres at the 57th New York Film Festival on September 27, and as soon as that film lands a wide release date, it’ll be included on our 2019 Release Schedule. Provided, of course, that it’s released in 2019; but that’s another topic of discussion we could spend hours discussing.
