The Irishman is Martin Scorsese's most expensive film to date

The director's long-gestating mob drama has reportedly gone over budget

(Rex Features)

The Irishman is set to become the most expensive film Martin Scorsese has ever made.

Production began on the filmmaker's long-gestating mob drama in 2016 with lucrative rights picked up at Cannes Film Festival. Netflix later acquired worldwide rights to the film for a reported $105m setting a budget of $125m.

However, Page Six is reporting that Scorsese has spent $175m and counting on the film - which stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci - after the longest shoot of his career to date surpassing 2012 fantasy Hugo by just one day (106 compared to the latter's 105). This would also make the film his most expensive to date.

According to a source, the chief reason for soaring costs is the CGI required to make 74-year-old De Niro look like he's 30 for scenes set in 1959.

Scorsese or Netflix have not yet responded to comment.

The film also stars Boardwalk Empire alumni Bobby Cannavale, Jack Huston and Stephen Graham who will play Genovese mob boss Tony “Pro” Provenzano - a top associate of Jimmy Hoffa, the character whose mysterious disappearance hands the film its plot. Harvey Keitel and Ray Romano also star.

Interestingly, the film marks the first collaboration between Scorsese and The Godfather actor Pacino but will serve as the tenth time that De Niro has worked with the filmmaker.

The Irishman - Scorsese's first film since religious drama Silence - will be released in 2019.

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