The premiere of Killers of the Flower Moon, featuring Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone, was held on May 20th, 2023, at the Cannes Film Festival. The drama, directed by Martin Scorsese, lasted for 3 hours and 26 minutes. It received a massive standing ovation for 9 minutes, which has been the most significant standing ovation at the festival so far, as reported by Variety.
The movie provides an adaptation of David Grann’s best-selling book and is written for the screen by Eric Roth and Scorsese. The plot unfolds in 1920s Oklahoma and portrays the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, which became infamously known as the Reign of Terror.
The audience seemed unfazed by the long run-time and the delayed start, and they were captivated by the show, bursting into applause and standing up for nine minutes in admiration of the film.
Leonardo DiCaprio had previously attended the festival, back in 2019, for his movie Once Upon a Time … in Hollywood. This is the first time director Scorsese has been at the festival since 1985’s After Hours.
Killers of the Flower Moon was widely considered to be the most anticipated film of the festival, with its hottest tickets. The premiere was one of those moments where Hollywood gifts its brightest talents to the South of France to celebrate the art of moviemaking. The red carpet also saw Jesse Plemons and Kirsten Dunst, as well as Tobey McGuire, a close friend of DiCaprio, who came out in support.
The premiere was also attended by other high-profile celebrities, including Cate Blanchett, François Henri Pinault, and Salma Hayek. Director Michael Gracey, Robbie Williams, Naomi Campbell, Irina Shayk, and Riccardo Tisci, among others, were also among the notable attendees.
