Martin Scorsese has defended casting Brendan Fraser in Killers Of The Flower Moon.

According to LADBible, the 54-year-old actor’s performance as W.S. Hamilton received mixed reviews from fans, many of whom accused him of overacting in the much-lauded feature.

The 80-year-old filmmaker, who was recently honored at the WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards, has since stepped in to justify his decision to cast the Encino Man star, whom he described as ‘a wonderful actor and he was just great to work with.’

Scorsese stated that he had been a longtime fan of Fraser and that the performer only worked on Killers Of The Flower Moon for a brief period of time. 

‘We thought he’d be great for the lawyer, and I admired his work over the years. He actually came in for I think a couple of weeks on the picture, particularly when it was in our later shoot,’ he said.

Showing his support: Martin Scorsese has defended casting Brendan Fraser in Killers Of The Flower Moon; he is seen in 2019

The Taxi Driver director then recalled that he greatly enjoyed collaborating with Fraser, who also established a rapport with the movie’s star.

He said: ‘We had a really good time working together, particularly with Leo [DiCaprio]. Particularly in the scene where he says, “They’re putting a noose around your neck, he’s saving you, dumb boy.”‘

Scorsese concluded by stating that the star of The Whale made a considerable impact on the feature, despite his relatively small role.

‘He brought the whole scene down on Leo. It was perfect. And he had that girth. He’s big in the frame at that time,’ he said. 

Killers Of The Flower Moon was based on David Grann’s nonfiction book of the same name, which was published in 2017.

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The feature was centered on the true story of a criminal who conspired with his uncle to unlawfully obtain the wealth of his wife.

In addition to Fraser and DiCaprio, the movie starred Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone and Jesse Plemons, among others. 

Development on the project began in 2016, and filming took place in Oklahoma in the spring of 2021.

Sharing their opinions: According to LADBible, the 54-year-old actor’s performance as W.S. Hamilton received mixed reviews from fans, many of whom accused him of overacting in the much-lauded feature

Good times: The 80-year-old filmmaker, who was recently honored at the WSJ Magazine Innovator Awards, has since stepped in to justify his decision to cast the Encino Man star, whom he described as ‘a wonderful actor and he was just great to work with’; Fraser is seen in May

Stacked cast: In addition to Fraser and DiCaprio, the movie starred Robert De Niro, Lily Gladstone and Jesse Plemons, among others

Doing well: The feature received widespread critical acclaim, and it currently holds a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes; Scorsese is seen in July

Killers Of The Flower Moon made its debut during the Cannes Film Festival, which took place this past May.

The feature received widespread critical acclaim, and it currently holds a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. 

The movie’s wide release took place on October 20, and it has since grossed just over $88 million worldwide, according to Box Office Mojo. 

Killers Of The Flower Moon will also be made available through the Apple TV+ streaming service at an unspecified date in the future.