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Don’t expect to see any tap dancing from Robert DeNiro.
Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman (which recently opened the New York Film Festival) is coming to Broadway's historic Belasco Theatre from Nov 1 to Dec 1. However, it’s not a star-studded theatrical production or loosely-inspired musical that’s heading to the Great White Way, but the film itself. Netflix is installing state-of-the-art equipment in the theater in order to screen the new gangster epic on a regular schedule throughout the month.
In case the whole Broadway theater thing wasn’t enough to really drive the point home, they’ll even be following a traditional theatrical schedule with screenings in the 1,016-seat space: every evening, Tuesday through Saturday, with matinees on the weekend.
Surprisingly enough, this isn’t the first time the Belasco has housed film screenings. It was once an NBC studio in the early ‘50s.
“We’ve lost so many wonderful theaters in New York City in recent years, including single house theaters like the Ziegfeld and the Paris,” Scorsese said in a statement to Deadline. “The opportunity to recreate that singular experience at the historic Belasco Theatre is incredibly exciting.”
Why the special, rather glamorous treatment? Though the film isn’t scheduled to be released on Netflix until November 27, it needed an earlier theatrical release to meet eligibility requirements for the Academy Awards. As a result of some tension with Netflix, major theatrical chains turned down the opportunity to screen the film.
But lucky for New Yorkers, that unique confluence of events has resulted in a chance to see a major new, NYC-set film in a truly one-of-a-kind setting. No news on whether or not they'll be selling Milk Duds in the lobby.