Martin Scorsese 'needed Netflix to make The Irishman'

Martin Scorsese couldn't have made 'The Irishman' without the support of Netflix, according to Thelma Schoonmaker.

The 80-year-old film editor has claimed that the legendary director wouldn't have been able to make the widely acclaimed crime movie - which stars Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci - without the financial strength of the streaming platform.

Speaking to the BBC, Schoonmaker shared: "Nobody would fund this movie. Scorsese and Robert De Niro struggled for seven years to get funding."

Schoonmaker thinks the success of 'The Irishman' could force film studios to rethink their approach.

She said: "The studios are a little afraid of this kind of thing, but it's been such a big success - maybe they're learning a little bit from this."

According to the editor, Scorsese's plan to use de-ageing technology on the actors was "one of the problems" as most studios considered the costs involved to be prohibitive.

Schoonmaker - who is a long-time collaborator of the legendary filmmaker - explained: "Finally Scorsese's general manager said 'Netflix will give you the money and they will leave you alone' - and they did.

"I can't tell you what a blessing that was. We're sorry about the [short] theatrical release but nobody else would make this movie. The film wouldn't have been made without Netflix."

'The Irishman' was made on a budget of $159 million and has a runtime of 209 minutes, meaning it is one of the most expensive and longest movies of Scorsese's career.