- One of the most shocking scenes of Killers of the Flower Moon is where Robert De Niro’s William Hale beats up Leo DiCaprio’s Ernest Burkhart
- Cinematographer Rodrigo Pietro revealed in a new interview with Insider that the scene wasn’t in the original script and that Leo had some “filler”
- The scene takes place in which Burkhart bungles part of Hale’s overarching plan to gain control of the oil reserves on Osage Nation land.
Leonardo DiCaprio is no stranger to going the extra mile for his film appearances, but a scene in Killers of the Flower Moon led to him wearing a fake butt.
One of the most shocking scenes of Killers of the Flower Moon is where Robert De Niro’s William Hale actually gives his cousin, Leo DiCaprio’s Ernest Burkhart, a beating.
Cinematographer Rodrigo Pietro revealed this in a new interview with Insider that the scene wasn’t in the original script, and that Leo had some “filler.”
The scene takes place in which Burkhart bungles part of Hale’s overarching plan to gain control of the oil reserves on Osage Nation land.
When Burkhart meets with Hale to discuss his blunder, they meet in a back room where Hale shockingly beats his adult cousin with a wooden paddle.
Fake butt: Leonardo DiCaprio is no stranger to going the extra mile for his movie appearances, but one scene in Killers of the Flower Moon led to him wearing a fake butt
Robert as William: One of the most shocking scenes of Killers of the Flower Moon is where Robert De Niro’s William Hale actually beats up his cousin, Leo DiCaprio’s Ernest Burkhart
“I don’t think that was in the first script. That was something that was added, and it’s shocking in the movie,” Pietro said.
The paddling also did not appear in David Grann’s 2017 book on which the film was based, and there is no evidence that such a beating ever took place in real life.
“I remember doing them a few times and thinking, ‘Oh, that must hurt,’” Prieto said.
He added: “There was some padding on (DiCaprio’s) butt. But you could tell De Niro was really hitting him. Leo is a game for so many. He will do anything.’
DiCaprio proved the latter statement when he gave his best for The Revenant, where he won his first and long-awaited Oscar.
The actor plays a frontiersman who is left for dead in the 1820s and tells his incredible story of survival.
In one scene, DiCaprio’s Hugh Glass ate a raw bison liver to survive, although he was originally going to eat an artificial liver made from protein bars.
Clay Landry, the film’s technical advisor on history and wilderness, revealed that things had changed just days before shooting.
Not written: “I don’t think that was in the first script. That was something that was added, and it’s shocking in the movie,” Pietro said
Padding: He added, “There was some padding on (DiCaprio’s) butt. But you could tell De Niro was really hitting him. Leo is a game for so many. He will do anything’
Above and beyond: DiCaprio proved that last statement when he went above and beyond the call of duty for The Revenant, where he won his first and long-awaited Oscar
Changed: Clay Landry, the film’s technical advisor on history and wilderness, revealed just days before shooting that things had changed
“Leo had talked about it and they were going to use a real liver,” Landry said.
Killers of the Flower Moon debuted in second place at the box office last weekend with $23.2 million.
The film debuted in 3,628 theaters for a solid $6,409 per screen average, but failed to overtake Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which repeated at the top of the box office.
Killers of the Flower Moon will eventually stream on Apple TV Plus, although a date for its streaming debut has not yet been set.