Killers of the Flower Moon Author Praises Martin Scorsese's Film Adaptation

This year will bring the release of Killers of the Flower Moon, the long-awaited crime epic directed by Martin Scorsese. The film will bring David Grann's beloved book of the same name to life onscreen, and it sounds like he has definitely given his stamp of approval to the project. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Grann spoke about the experience of seeing his work adapted onscreen, and praised Scorsese's commitment to bringing the story to life authentically. 

"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," Grann said. "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."

"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," Grann said. "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."

"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," Grann continued. "The film had Osage-language experts working with the actors to make sure 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."

What is Killers of the Flower Moon about?

In Killers of the Flower Moon, members of the Osage tribe in northeastern Oklahoma are murdered under mysterious circumstances in the 1920s, sparking a major FBI investigation directed by a 29-year-old J. Edgar Hoover and former Texas Ranger Tom White, described as "an old-style lawman." The film is based on David Grann's nonfiction book Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI.

Also starring in Killers of the Flower Moon are Jesse Plemons, Lily Gladstone, Tantoo Cardinal, Louis Cancelmi, Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson, Tatanka Means, Pat Healy, Scott Shepherd, and Gary Basaraba.

Are you excited for Killers of the Flower Moon? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Killers of the Flower Moon will be released in select theaters on Friday, October 6th. It will subsequently be expanded into a wide release on Friday, October 20th.