Martin Scorsese: Not Considering Adapting The Irishman into a Series

Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese was at the center of public opinion a few months ago for his criticism of Marvel movies. His latest crime masterpiece, "The Irishman," was released on Netflix last week and was selected as one of Time Magazine's top ten movies of 2019, proving that Martin is still as good as ever.

The Irishman is 3 hours and 30 minutes long, even surpassing The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (3 hours and 21 minutes). Considering the length of the film and the thickness of the content, many fans naturally think that it would be more meaningful for The Irishman to be adapted into a restricted TV series, such as HBO's Chernobyl.

Martin responded to this in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, flatly rejecting the proposal: "Absolutely not, I have never thought about this issue."

He believes that adapting The Irishman for television would have compromised its narrative impact: “This work is about the accumulation of detail. It’s a cumulative effect inspired by the ending of the film, and it’s best to watch it all in one sitting if you can. A series is great, and can reinvent characters and plots, but it’s not for The Irishman.”

The filming of The Irishman took several years and was very difficult. For Scorsese, the opportunity and plan provided by Netflix allowed him to complete the film. Not only did the streaming giant provide expensive funds, but it also gave Martin more creative control than traditional theatrical release.

Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci return in The Irishman, and the legends gather together. Through the perspective of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran, it tells the story of organized crime in post-war America. This may be Martin Scorsese's last gangster crime film, so the pace is slower, conveying more desolation and sadness.