At long last, the first trailer for Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon has been revealed, and it screams “awards bait” in every possible way.
That’s not intended to be a knock when almost all of the legendary filmmaker’s collaborations with star Leonardo DiCaprio have yielded widespread critical acclaim and no shortage of trophies, especially when you factor in a typically stacked cast that features Robert De Niro, Brendan Fraser, Jesse Plemons, Lily Gladstone, and many more.
However, the biggest question raised by the footage has nothing to do with the footage, which looks suitably sumptuous and spectacular in equal measure. Instead, you can’t help but wonder how the hell Killers of the Flower Moon set Apple back by a reported $200 million, when it doesn’t look like it should cost anywhere near as much.
Make no mistake, it doesn’t exactly look as though it was made on a shoestring, but let’s not ignore the irony in Scorsese crafting a sweeping historical drama for roughly as much as it takes to create a Marvel Cinematic Universe blockbuster from the ground up. Does Killers of the Flower Moon look like it’s going to be a good movie? Yes, very much so. Does it look like a $200 million movie? We’re going to have to go out on a limb and say no, it does not.
It’s highly unlikely to come close to turning a profit in theaters, either, especially when the film’s ultimate end destination is streaming. Scorsese does whatever he wants at this stage of his career, it would seem, regardless of the eye-watering expense involved.
