“I’d already been, uh, made pregnant”: Martin Scorsese Had To Pay $500,000 To Finish His Film With Leonardo DiCaprio After Harvey Weinstein Screwed Him Over
The celebrated director Martin Scorsese was once in a dilemma for his critically acclaimed film, The Aviator. He disclosed why he had to go the extra mile by spending around $500K to wrap up the filming.
Leonardo DiCaprio starrer, The Aviator came across unenforceable hurdles during the film shoot due to the budget cuts enforced by the Production companies, Warner Bros and Miramax.
Why did Martin Scorsese spend an extra $500K on The Aviator?
Legendary director Martin Scorsese‘s 2004 biographical drama film – The Aviator is a highly accoladed film with five Oscars under its name, in different categories. The spectacular cast includes, Leonardo DiCaprio as Howard Hughes, Cate Blanchett as Katharine Hepburn, and Kate Beckinsale as Ava Gardner in leading roles.
In a candid conversation with GQ – Martin Scorsese revealed the shocking reason that led him to pay out a hefty sum of money, amounting to $500,000 to keep the movie going. He explained how distressed he was with the ‘mean’ decision of the Production studios (Warner Bros and Miramax) when they decided to cut off the funding.
While recounting the unfortunate event, he said:
“But the shoot went well, the editing went well until the last couple of weeks of editing. And they came in and did some things that I felt were extremely mean.”
How did Harvey Weinstein almost doomed Martin Scorsese’s movie
Harvey Weinstein, the co-founder of Miramax entertainment company nearly screwed the movie for Martin Scorsese when he joined The Aviator as a co-producer, alongside Warner Bros. He further describes (via GQ) his strong dislike for onboarding Miramax as one of the distributors. However, he was unable to do much as they were already in the game. Scorsese said:
“But who, alongside Warner Bros., was a distributor of that film? Weinstein’s Miramax. “And I was against that; there was a meeting, and I was forced into that position,” I’d already been, uh, made pregnant, as they said. And there’s no way you’re getting out of it.”
Also Read: Real Reason Angelina Jolie Turned Down Aviator!
The film, based on the biographical book – Howard Hughes: The Secret Life by Charles Higham, unfolds the life of Howard Hughes. The lead character is an aviation pioneer and director of the film Hell’s Angels and is played by acting prowess Leonardo DiCaprio. The film narrates the success story of Hughes while grappling with his worsening severe obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD).
The 80-year-old gifted director was once having second thoughts about quitting his career as a filmmaker due to the unsettling situations that arose during his films. “I realized that I couldn’t work if I had to make films that way ever again,” he said in the interview (via GQ).
But we are so glad he rethought this decision, otherwise, the epic drama films wouldn’t have existed!
Martin Scorsese who will turn 81 this November, has made a legacy in his career that spans over 50 years. Amongst his greatest hits are, The Departed, (which led him to his most anticipated Oscars win), Taxi Driver, The Irishman, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Casino.
