“The Irishman,” which includes extensive de-
aging visual effects to make its star-studded
cast — including Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and
Joe Pesci — appear decades younger in some
scenes has reportedly cost close to $200 million
to make. The film, about hitman and Jimmy
Hoffa associate Frank Sheeran, will open the
New York Film Festival on Sept. 27.
Because of the film’s pedigree, theater owners
had lobbied Netflix to give “The Irishman” a
traditional, wide release. But the major theater
chains, including AMC and Cinemark, have
refused to play movies that don’t adhere to the
standard 90-day exclusivity window. Netflix
instead has said the film will be released in
select theaters.
Netflix last fall first began releasing certain titles
in theaters first, beginning with Alfonso Cuaron’s
“Roma,” the Coen brothers’ “The Ballad of Buster
Scruggs” and the Sandra Bullock thriller “Bird
Box.” This fall, they will expand that strategy
to more films and, in some cases, elongate
theatrical runs to about four weeks.
The Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and
Sciences earlier this year contemplated a new
rule stipulating a four-week exclusive run in
theaters before ultimately deciding not to amend
their rules for next year’s Oscars. On its way to
several Academy Award wins, “Roma” played
solely in theaters for just over three weeks.
Steven Soderbergh’s Panama Papers satire
“The Laundromat,” with Meryl Streep, will open
Sept. 27 in U.S. theaters and premiere Oct. 18
on Netflix. The Eddie Murphy-led “Dolemite
Is My Name” will hit theaters Oct. 4 and begin
streaming three weeks later.