With a cast that puts any superhero ensemble to shame, Martin Scorsese has officially finalized his lineup for his upcoming gangster epic The Irishman. After Robert De Niro and Al Pacino had been attached for some time, there’s been on-and-off rumors that Harvey Keitel would join and Joe Pesci would come out of an acting hiatus for the project. The Goodfellas and Raging Bull director is now getting the whole gang back together.
According to Deadline, all four are set to lead the crime drama, which also has Bobby Cannavale on board. The Netflix project, which has a budget of over $100 million, will begin shooting next month around New York City and, like a usual Scorsese joint, will extend many months, all the way through the end of the year.
The crime drama follows Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran, a mob hitman whose illustrious career is today best-known for a supposed involvement in the death of Jimmy Hoffa. Pesci, who last worked with Scorsese in 1995’s Casino, is set to take the role of the PA-based mafia boss Russell Bufalino.
With a release expected for 2019, perhaps with things getting underway next month, we could see a debut as early as the end of 2018, but only time will tell, and we now how much Thelma Schoonmaker and Scorsese enjoy the editing room. With a project and ensemble of this caliber, however, they can take all the time they need.