Martin Scorsese's 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' Cast Adds Native American Actress Lily Gladstone

Martin Scorsese's upcoming feature film Killers of the Flower Moon has added a new star to its cast. Native American actress Lily Gladstone, who has worked with Kelly Reichardt on her films Certain Women and First Cow, is joining the Killers of the Flower Moon cast, opposite Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro.Variety reports that Lily Gladstone, an actress of Blackfeet and Nimii'puu Nez Perce descent, has joined the Killers of the Flower Moon cast as Mollie Burkhart, an "Osage married to Ernest Burkhart, who is nephew of a powerful local rancher." DiCaprio has already been set to portray her husband, Burkhart, while De Niro will play his uncle.

Gladstone comes from a theater background but is best known for her collaborations with Kelly Reichardt, making her onscreen debut in Reichardt's 2016 drama Certain Women. She reunited with the director in her 2020 Western First Cow. Gladstone has also worked in television, with roles on Showtime's Billions and HBO's Room 104.

Based on the book by David Grann, Killers of the Flower Moon tells the true story of the string of brutal murders of wealthy members of the Osage Nation in Osage County, Oklahoma in the early 1920s. The murders, also known as the Reign of Terror, came as oil was discovered on the land of the Osage Nation, making them the richest people per capita in the world. The story chronicles the case investigated by the newly-created FBI, unraveling a "chilling conspiracy and one of the most monstrous crimes in American history."

DiCaprio, DeNiro, and Gladstone are the only major cast members announced so far, but it's encouraging that Scorsese is making a concerted effort to cast Native American actors in a film specifically about the Osage Nation. As the film heads into production, we can likely expect more actors to round out the cast.

Killers of the Flower Moon, which reportedly cost around $200 million to produce, has suffered from some delays due to the pandemic and from original studio Paramount balking at the film's budget. The rights were scooped up by Apple, but it's been slow going for the film amid the pandemic. Scorsese has confirmed that he is deep in pre-production for what is anticipated to be a hefty seven-month shoot.

Scorsese is directing and producing Killers of the Flower Moon from a screenplay by Eric Roth. Along with Scorsese, Imperative's Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas are producing the film with Appian Way Productions.