Martin Scorsese‘s epic Killers of the Flower Moon earned 10 Oscar nominations Tuesday morning, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actor for Robert De Niro.
It was a historic 10th Best Director nomination for 81-year-old Academy Award winner Scorsese.
In a statement obtained by ABC News, Scorsese said, “It’s deeply gratifying to receive this recognition from the Academy, for myself and for so many of my collaborators on Killers of the Flower Moon.”
The film depicts the real-life campaign of terror that was exacted against the oil-rich Osage Nation in the 1920s, and the filmmakers took great pains to collaborate with members of the indigenous community to tell the story correctly.
Scorsese continued, “It was a remarkable experience to make this picture, to work together with the Osage community to tell the story of a genuine American tragedy, hidden in the shadows of official culture for far too long.”
He also hailed musician Robbie Robertson, who was posthumously nominated for the movie’s score. “I only wish that Robbie Robertson had lived to see his work recognized — our many years of friendship and Robbie’s growing consciousness of his own Native heritage played a crucial role in my desire to get this film onscreen,” Scorsese concluded.
For his part, De Niro told ABC Audio through his rep, “It was a privilege and a joy to work with Marty Scorsese, Leo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and the full cast and crew,” calling the film nothing short of “a mission.”
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