Martin Scorsese believes you have the strength to make it through all 3 1/2 hours of his newest film, Killers of the Flower Moon.

In a recent interview with The Hindustan Times, the acclaimed filmmaker defended the length of the new drama, which stars Leonardo DiCaprioRobert De Niro and Lily Gladstone.

“People say it’s three hours, but come on,” Scorsese said. “You can sit in front of the TV and watch something for five hours. Also, there are many people who watch theatre for 3.5 hours. There are real actors on stage, you can’t get up and walk around. You give it that respect, give cinema some respect.”

The film will be available to all on Apple TV+ after the theatrical release on October 20. Scorsese said that the big screen is the best way to watch his movie.

“Are we intending to make a blockbuster? No, we’re making a movie, which should [be] watched on the big screen,” Scorsese said. “Other pictures I made? Maybe not. Sometimes, it’s the strength of the picture too, if it plays well on a smaller screen, that’s interesting. Killers could play on a small screen, but in order to truly immerse yourself, you should take out the time.”

Copyright © 2023, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.