Robert De Niro Suffers Leg Injury, but ‘Flower Moon’ Filming Reportedly Won’t Be Delayed
Zack Sharf
Robert De Niro suffered a leg injury in Oklahoma and flew back to New York City on May 13, where he will seek medical attention (via Variety). The two-time Oscar-winning actor was in Oklahoma filming Martin Scorsese’s Apple-backed Western “Killers of the Flower Moon,” but the leg injury reportedly did not happen during filming or occur on set. Deadline reports De Niro was already scheduled to fly to New York on May 13 as he is “planning to take a few weeks off the production.” For this reason, production on “Flower Moon” is reportedly not going to be delayed.
Scorsese kicked off production on “Killers of the Flower Moon” last month. The movie is now filming in Bartlesville, Pawhuska, and Osage County, Oklahoma. De Niro stars as William Hale, a powerful local rancher in 1920s Oklahoma. The ensemble cast also includes Leonardo Dicaprio as Hale’s nephew Ernest Burkhart, Lily Gladstone as Ernest’s wife Mollie Burkhart, and Jesse Plemons as Tom White, an FBI agent tasked with investigating a string of murders among the Osage Nation. The movie, with a script by “Forrest Gump” Oscar winner Eric Roth, is based on David Grann’s non-fiction book of the same name.
As reported last month, the Oklahoma Film + Music Office partnered with Apple Studios to help fill hundreds of production jobs for the project. Per a statement from the companies: “To date, dozens of production assistants have been hired to join this program, participating in mentor sessions with ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ crew. This event marks one aspect of the four-part series which will kick start the participants’ professional development while working on this unique project.”
Tava Maloy Sofsky, Director [Film Commissioner] of the Oklahoma Film + Music Office, said, “Oklahoma’s film industry is flourishing and while we are pleased this production is already employing hundreds of Oklahomans, with thousands of background extras lined up, we are just getting started and are ecstatic about the workforce development opportunities to train up the next generation of filmmakers. Honestly, while it’s everyday work for everyone involved, it is a once in a lifetime opportunity to host everyone on this special production and its entire cast and crew, which will positively impact our state in unprecedented ways.”
Variety reports that it’s “not known whether [De Niro] will be returning to the set at a later date.” Production on “Killers of the Flower Moon” will continue through the summer. Check out a first look image of DiCaprio and Gladstone from the film here.
