The Irishman Draws Huge Audience According to Nielsen Data

The Hollywood Reporter has revealed that Martin Scorsese’s gangster epic The Irishman drew in a sizable audience in its first weekend on Netflix. According to Nielsen data, which measures viewing on TV sets within the United States, 13.16 million viewers watched the film, while at least 17 million people tuned in to watch a few minutes of the nearly three and a half hour long feature. That’s a sizable jump from El Camino’s opening weekend audience (8.2 million), but not quite as much as the number raked in by Bird Box (16.9 million).

Still, considering its length, The Irishman is shaping up to be quite the streaming blockbuster.

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Robert De Niro headlines the flick as mob hitman Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran, reputed to have carried out more than 25 murders. Al Pacino will portray infamously slain labor leader Jimmy Hoffa in what will mark the Academy Award winner’s first time working with Scorsese. The Irishman also stars Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel, Anna Paquin, Jesse Plemons, Bobby Cannavale, Jack Huston, and Ray Romano.

An epic saga of organized crime in post-war America told through the eyes of World War II veteran Frank Sheeran, a hustler and hitman who worked alongside some of the most notorious figures of the 20th century. Spanning decades, the film chronicles one of the greatest unsolved mysteries in American history, the disappearance of legendary union boss Jimmy Hoffa, and offers a monumental journey through the hidden corridors of organized crime: its inner workings, rivalries, and connections to mainstream politics.

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The Irishman, based on the book by Charles Brandt, will employ extensive (and expensive) digital de-aging techniques so the older actors can portray their characters through the decades. Joe Pesci will portray Pennsylvania Mafia boss Russell Bufalino, who may have had a hand in the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa. Ray Romano will play another member of the same crime family, Bill Bufalino.