The author behind the non-fiction bookKillers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, David Grann, has heaped praise on seminal directorMartin Scorsese’s upcoming adaptation- as well as Oscar winner Leonardo DiCaprio’s performance. Speaking withVanity Fairabout the project, Grann commended the commitment to authenticity shown by the filmmaker in bringing the story of the Osage murders to life.
“One of the things that was really most impressive and important in the development process was less my involvement, but the involvement of members of the Osage Nation. And early on, the Osage chief, Geoffrey Standing Bear, appointed several movie ambassadors from the Nation, from the government, to work with the movie folks. From everything I’ve heard, they really worked with a commitment to working with the Osage Nation, developing a story, even shooting on location. Many Osage are actually acting in the movie.”
Directed by Martin Scorsese from a screenplay by Scorsese and Eric Roth,Killers of the Flower Moonwill explore the real-life murderswhich took place in the Osage Nation in the 1920s after oil was discovered on tribal land. The incident sparked a major FBI investigation directed by a 29-year-old J. Edgar Hoover and former Texas Ranger Tom White, who is set to be played byBreaking BadandThe Irishmanstar Jesse Plemons.
DiCaprio will portray a man named Ernest Burkhart, with Lily Gladstone starring as his wife Mollie.Academy Award winner Robert De Niromeanwhile will play Ernest’s uncle, the American cattleman and convicted murderer William Hale.
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David Grann Heaps Praise on Leonardo DiCaprio & Lily Gladstone
Grann continued, revealing that he has visited the set ofKillers of the Flower Moonand heaps praise on both Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone and their dedication to bring these real-life figures to screen as accurately and genuinely as possible.
“I did visit the set for a few days. And I was, again, just really impressed by how they managed to bring these historical figures to life and capture the hidden truths about the story. Leo [DiCaprio] just seemed to just be able to capture the nature of Ernest Burkhart, and the level of complicity of his character, and this evil system. And Lily Gladstone brings Mollie to life with such sensitivity and emotional power, at least in the bits I saw.”
Grann compares Scorsese and his cast to “historians,” applauding their dedication to the story and concluding thatKillers of the Flower Moonwill be “breathtaking and powerful."
“What I was struck by from Scorsese to the actors was the level of commitment and how much research they did to understand the parts and understand the history. They just seemed voracious, a little bit like historians, in their search for any knowledge, transcripts, documents, speaking to descendants, speaking with members of the Osage Nation. The film had Osage-language experts working with the actors to ensure they were able to teach them the language and that they got the language right, technically. I saw a scene where many of the tribal council members of the Osage Nation were speaking, and I think they contributed to a lot of that dialogue themselves. I think anyone who sees that will find it bracing and breathtaking and powerful.”
Killers of the Flower Moonwill debut at the 76th Cannes Film Festivalbefore landing in theaterson July 30, 2025.
