Page 26 - The Hollywood Reporter (January 2020)

BEST PICTURE you reach out to Robert De Niro when he was
starting TriBeCa Productions. Before
The Irishman The Irishman, had it been a long time since you

three worked together creatively?
JANE ROSENTHAL Obviously, Bob and Marty
talk all the time, and Marty has also been a
huge supporter of what we have done with the
Martin Scorsese reunited with Robert De Niro Tribeca Film Festival over the years. But this

and Joe Pesci — and collaborated for the first is the first opportunity I have had to work with
time with Al Pacino — for a career-defining crime him on a movie since The Color of Money.

saga of epic proportions BY MIA GALUPPO After having known each other profes-

sionally for so long, and having all worked
t’s a mix of relief and disbelief,” technological development later, Rosenthal separately on projects, what was it like to finally
says producer Jane Rosenthal of The found herself on opening night at the 57th come together?
Irishman’s best picture nomina- New York Film Festival in September 2019, I would just watch the two of them. When you
tion, more than a decade after she flanked by Joe Pesci, Al Pacino and Martin have Scorsese and De Niro together on some-
I began work on the crime epic. As Scorsese, as well as the streaming service’s thing, you just let them do what they do. The
the longtime producing partner of Robert chief content officer Ted Sarandos, at the film’s one thing about both of them that I’ve learned
De Niro, Rosenthal became world premiere. throughout the years is that they are always
involved with the Netflix “It was always something open to suggestions. To know them individu-
film — which tells the story VITAL STATS Bob and I wanted — to ally is one thing, but when you watch them
of Mafia hitman Frank bring [Scorsese and him] together they become greater than — it’s like
Sheeran (De Niro) and STUDIO Netflix back together again,” she one and one equals five. I am just thrilled that
his claim to having killed RELEASE DATE Nov. 27 says. “It just took a little we are able to have the opportunity to finally
Teamster union leader WORLDWIDE BOX OFFICE longer than we thought make this movie. Ted Sarandos and Scott
Jimmy Hoffa — in 2007. N/A it would.” Stuber took a chance on this after so long,
At the time, Netflix was DIRECTOR Martin Scorsese Rosenthal talked to THR and we were finally able to make this after so

still a mail-order DVD rental CAST about that long develop- many years.
service and the de-aging Robert De Niro, ment process, a 2013 table
technology that would be Al Pacino, Joe Pesci read that inspired them to After sitting on the project for more than a IRISHMAN: COURTESY OF NETFLIX (2). SCORSESE: ROY ROCHLIN/GETTY IMAGES FOR TRIBECA FILM FESTIVAL.
required for De Niro to play TOP AWARDS keep going and her final, decade, was there ever a worry in your mind
Sheeran in his 20s as well 10 Oscar noms, emotional day on set. that, even though it was a passion project for
as his 60s was still several 10 BAFTA noms, 5 Globe noms, everyone involved, it would never get made?
years off from beta test- 4 SAG Award noms Martin Scorsese was the one Yes. (Laughs.) The majority of the time. Except
ing. More than a decade of who actually suggested that when we actually started shooting. Up until

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