John Lithgow has joined the cast of Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” playing the role of a prosecutor. The two-time Oscar nominee will be be part of an ensemble that also includes Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Jesse Plemons.
“Killers of the Flower Moon” is based on David Grann’s best-selling book, which explores the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation during the 1920s.
The screenplay was written by Eric Roth and Scorsese, who also directs and serves as producer alongside Imperative Entertainment’s Dan Friedkin and Bradley Thomas and Appian Way Productions.
The project is a statement-maker for Apple, which is starting to spend heavily and aligning itself with top talent as it tries to break into the original film game. Upcoming projects for the streamer include “Emancipation,” from director Antoine Fuqua and Will Smith; “Lessons in Chemistry” starring Brie Larson; and “Snow Blind,” a new feature film, with Jake Gyllenhaal attached to star.
Lithgow was recently nominated for an Emmy for his performance in the HBO series “Perry Mason” and had a supporting turn as Fox News founder Roger Ailes in “Bombshell.” His credits include “Terms of Endearment,” “The World According to Garp,” “Cliffhanger” and “Love Is Strange.” On television, he has played Winston Churchill in “The Crown,” a serial killer in “Dexter” and an alien with a penchant for pratfalls in “3rd Rock From the Sun.” He’s also a Tony-winning stage actor, having appeared in the likes of “Requiem for a Heavyweight,” “M. Butterfly” and a musical adaptation of “The Sweet Smell of Success.” This marks Lithgow’s first time appearing in a Scorsese film.
Lithgow is represented by UTA, Anonymous Content, Viewpoint and Hansen, Jacobson, Teller, Hoberman, Newman, Warren, Richman, Rush, Kaller & Gellman.