Leo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt and Robert De Niro have finally worked together under acclaimed director Martin Scorsese, yet the blockbuster isn’t a Hollywood film — it’s an ad for a casino.
The actors are rumored to have been paid US$13 million each for their work on the short film promoting City of Dreams Casino in Manilla and Studio City Casino in Macau, with the whole flick coming in at a cool $70 million, according to the New York Post.
Multiple teasers have been released this week showing a sneak peek of the film called The Audition, to be released mid-2015 at the launch of Studio City. It has been directed by Scorsese and written by Boardwalk Empire creator Terence Winter. One of the trailers has since been deleted from YouTube.
From the teasers, it appears the plot centers around DiCaprio and De Niro flying into Studio City, Macau, to fight it out for the same movie role being directed by Scorsese. Brad Pitt is expected to make an appearance in the third trailer and the final film, according to a press release.
The two casinos are owned by Australian casino mogul James Packer and Macau gaming identity Lawrence Ho company Melco Crown Entertainment, who both convinced Scorsese to do the film. With the company’s net revenue for the third quarter of 2014 coming in at US$1,124.1 million it is unlikely money was an issue to secure the big names.
“This short film is a historic event because it is the first film ever to star such legendary actors as Robert De Niro, Leonardo Dicaprio and Brad Pitt in one film together,” Brett Ratner, who part-owns RatPac Entertainment and produced the film, said in the statement.
“Our hope is that the trailer for “The Audition” gives audiences an early look into what will surely be an important cinematic experience directed by one of the most culturally influential directors in the history of Hollywood films,” Ratner added.
Ho outlined the thinking behind using Hollywood’s leading men to promote his Hollywood-inspired gaming venture in Asia.
“It will take the entertainment-inspired leisure destination concept to new levels, in a cinematic setting developed in partnership with the world’s leading entertainment brands, supported and endorsed by many of the legends of Hollywood,” Ho said in a statement.