Iconic cinematic teams are just hard to separate, provided nothing too horrible or conflicting prevents such reunions. Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio definitely qualify as one of those teams that doesn’t seem to quit, as they even team up on upcoming movies that might not even get made. Though their latest effort Killers of the Flower Moon has been delayed into 2023, Scorsese and DiCaprio have set sights on another movie they’ll be making as an Apple original.
This time, the boys are heading out to the high seas, as THR reports Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio are in talks to respectively direct and star in a tale of naval malfeasance. The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder is the source material that’s in question, as author David Grann’s recent historical book recounts the story of a 1740s mutiny that went to trial. With two separate groups of survivors questioning each other’s roles in the proceedings, survival and morality would be called into question.
One rather interesting question that needs to be answered is whether or not The Wager will see a theatrical release. Apple TV+ has certainly sent some of their films to theaters, with this year’s Best Picture winner CODA benefitting from a streaming and theatrical release. Then there's something like Killers of the Flower Moon, which is being sent to theaters through a partnership with the project’s original studio home of Paramount Pictures. The Wager, on the other hand, is purely an Apple Original Films baby, so there's no obligation for a wider release model outside of an awards qualifying run, which would allow flexibility in how to release the film.
Non-fiction has been a common thread throughout quite a few of the films that Scorsese and DiCaprio have teamed up on in the past. Starting with 2002’s Gangs of New York, the two would go on to draw from real figures and events to deliver The Aviator and The Wolf of Wall Street in the years to come. Counting Killers of the Flower Moon in the equation, Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio have made four movies that stem from non-fictional narratives.
Fans who have tracked the history of either collaborator are probably thinking that while The Wager sounds like a fantastic project, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to happen as quickly as it’s been announced. Seeing as Leonardo DiCaprio has been attached to The Devil in the White City since 2015, that adaptation could present a potential stumbling block for this new book on the shelf. That’s provided that White City's current incarnation as a Hulu TV series is still even on the books.
Several of Leonardo DiCaprio’s best movies have been shepherded by the hand of Martin Scorsese. Any time their names are mentioned as connected to something, even if it’s a bonkers short film/casino ad directed by Scorsese, the occasion will usually make news. For now, we'll have to wait to see what news comes out of The Wager's development cycle. In the meantime, Killers of the Flower Moon is set to bring Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio back to theaters, presumably at some point in 2023.
