Los Angeles, Jul 27 (IANS): Filmmaker Martin Scorsese's western drama 'Killers of the Flower Moon', starring Hollywood star Leonardo DiCaprio, will be hitting the silver screen in 2023.

Written by Eric Roth and adapted from the best-selling novel 'Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI' by David Grann, the film had been originally slated for 2023 by Apple, reports 'Variety'.

However, discussions between the filmmaker and the studio over bumping up the film's release to 2022 occurred after Will Smith's actions at the Oscars earlier this year changed Apple's release strategy for its Smith-starring slavery drama 'Emancipation'.

According to 'Variety', Scorsese is known for his arduous editing process with his frequent collaborator Thelma Schoonmaker.

Despite wrapping in September 2021, the $200 million 'Killers of the Flower Moon' won't be ready in time for this Oscar season, according to sources.

Instead, it's now rumoured to be eyeing a big 2023 festival debut at Cannes, Venice or another event.

Coming off its first best picture win for 'CODA', Apple still has multiple awards hopefuls in the cards for the upcoming awards season, including the Sundance Film Festival winner 'Cha Cha Real Smooth' and the animated feature 'Luck', plus upcoming features from star Jennifer Lawrence, director Peter Farrelly and producer Alfonso Cuaron.

There are ongoing discussions about whether and how Apple could release the Will Smith headliner 'Emancipation' from director Antoine Fuqua. Variety reported an impending move to 2023 back in May.