Where Was Killers Of The Flower Moon Filmed? (& Can You Visit?)
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6 months ago
An epic and harrowing Western is coming to cinemas this autumn
The cinema world has been buzzing with tidbits about Killers of the Flower Moon since it debuted at Cannes earlier this year – and it’s finally out in UK cinemas. The film stars an ensemble cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone, Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow and Brendan Fraser. Directed by Martin Scorsese and based on David Grann’s non-fiction book of the same name, the film centres on a series of murders in the Native American Osage Nation in Oklahoma in the 1920s. But where was Killers of the Flower Moon filmed? And can you visit? Hint: it stays true to the real story.
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Where Was Killers Of The Flower Moon Filmed? (& Can You Visit?)
Leonardo DiCaprio and Lily Gladstone in “Killers of the Flower Moon,” coming soon to Apple TV+.
Where Was Killers Of The Flower Moon Filmed?
Killers of the Flower Moon was filmed in Oklahoma, the same place the film is set. In fact, with a budget of $200 million, it is thought to be the most expensive film ever shot in the landlocked state.
When filming finally commenced in February 2021, after pandemic delays, director Scorsese said: ‘We are thrilled to finally start production on Killers of the Flower Moon in Oklahoma. To be able to tell this story on the land where these events took place is incredibly important and critical to allowing us to portray an accurate depiction of the time and people.
‘We’re grateful to Apple, the Oklahoma Film and Music Office and The Osage Nation, especially all our Osage consultants and cultural advisors, as we prepare for this shoot,’ he said. ‘We’re excited to start working with our local cast and crew to bring this story to life on screen and immortalise a time in American history that should not be forgotten.’
In particular, Killers of the Flower Moon was filmed in:
- Pawhuska, Osage County, Oklahoma
- Fairfax, Osage County, Oklahoma
- Bartlesville, Washington County, Oklahoma
Bartlesville served as base, with a few sets built there in a hangar rented from the city airport. Staying true to the harrowing real events that the film is based on, most of the murders took place in Pawhuska, which was totally transformed for filming. A two block section of Pawhuska’s Kihekah Avenue in particular was closed for two and a half months for the film, with local business owners compensated for the closures by Apple Studios. ‘This has been an iconic moment, a historic marker and something that we definitely would love to do again in Pawhuska,’ Kelly Bland, executive director of Osage County Tourism, told The Oklahoman. ‘It’s been a good experience all the way around.’ Plus, thousands of extras were drawn from Native American communities in the surrounding area to fill the background of the film.
Can You Visit?
Yes – although the real towns will look very different than their appearances in the movie, as sets and new facades were built, vintage cars pulled in and dirt poured over the road to simulate the 1920s setting.
That said, if you’d like to experience the movie magic after seeing Killers of the Flower Moon, visit Roslynn Jackson’s Gypsy Cowgirl and Pawhuska Marketplace shops in Pawhuska, which were transformed into ‘Gardener Flower and Plant Shop’ and a men’s tailoring shop called ‘Bright Ruddy’s’ respectively. Preempting film fans visiting the town, Jackson has kept her 1920s awnings up and left the fictional business names painted on the windows, according to The Oklahoman.
Watch It
Killers of the Flower Moon will arrive in UK cinemas on 20 October 2023, before later being released on Apple TV+.
All images courtesy of Apple TV+.
