Killers of the Flower Moon is set to be one of the biggest films of the year - here's what you need to know
Killers of the Flower Moon has been on every film buff's lips since it premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival in May.
The movie - based on David Grann's 2017 non-fiction book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI - is directed by Hollywood heavyweight Martin Scorsese with a legion of incredible actors behind him. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Brendan Fraser to name a few, it's a line-up of Academy Award winners - and Lily Gladstone is tipped to be going home with an Oscar statuette of her own next year.
The film follows the story of the Oklahoma Osage murders in the 1920s which led to an FBI investigation, and while it is yet to be released it has already stirred up quite the excitement. While the three and a half hour run time has not gone unnoticed by critics and fans, many are eagerly awaiting its release.
If you want to know a little more about the film that is expected to sweep up during awards season next year, here's everything we know about Killers of the Flower Moon from the cast and storyline to how you can watch it in the UK.
What is the Killers Of The Flower Moon storyline?
Killers of the Flower Moon is based on the 2017 non-fiction book written by David Grann. It depicts the tragic murders of members of Oklahoma's Osage people in the 1920s after they had their built wealth through oil sales.
The Osage owned the land which produced enough crude oil to earn them handsome royalties through its sale, but when many started to die under mysterious circumstances - with some set-up to look like suicides - it led to a full blown investigation by the FBI.
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Ernest Burkhart, the nephew of William King Hale (Robert DeNiro) - a farmer who is plotting to get control of the lucrative land for himself. He convinces Ernest to marry Mollie, an Osage woman, but his nephew soon finds himself falling in love with her and finding himself torn between his feelings and his family.
Killers of the Flower Moon cast
As with most Martin Scorsese films, Killers of the Flower Moon is populated by a lot of famous faces.
DiCaprio and DeNiro are joined by Lily Gladstone who plays Leo's wife, Mollie, as well as Jesse Plemons (Breaking Bad) as FBI Investigator Tom White, Brendan Fraser as W.S. Hamilton, Louis Cancelmi (The Irishman, Boardwalk Empire) as Kelsie Morrison and John Lithgow as Prosecutor Leaward.
In an interview for Apple TV+, Scorsese discussed how he worked with the Osage people and ensured that he had permission to work on their land. He also wanted to make sure that they were happy with the production and the storytelling.
During the conversation, Osage Nation Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear says: "When I asked you, 'What is your approach?' you said, 'I want to tell a story about betrayal of trust between the Osage people and the outside world."'
As per Collision, he said: "Trust, trust between Mollie and Ernest, trust between the outside world and the Osage and the betrayal of that trust, deep betrayal. And my people suffered greatly and to this day, this very day, those effects are with us, but I can stay on behalf of the Osage, Martin Scorsese and his team have restored trust and we know that trust will not be betrayed."
The collaboration meant that the storyline focused on Ernest's (DiCaprio) relationship with his wife Mollie (Gladstone), as he begins to wrestle with his conflicting feelings.
There's also a very unexpected name that crops up in the cast list online, too - none other than British comedian Jack Whitehall. But there isn't much information about his role or how much we can expect to see of him.
When will Killers of the Flower Moon be released in the UK?
The film has been a long time coming, with Paramount purchasing the rights in 2019 but production was delayed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. It was also facing budgeting issues, leading to Paramount joining forces with Apple Studios who are also co-distributing.
It will be released in cinemas in the UK on 20th October, and will later be available to stream on Apple TV+.
