Martin Scorsese's set to begin shooting in August with an expected release date in 2018.

Based on the Charles Brandt book I Heard You Paint Houses, The Irishman concerns a a real-life self-professed mob hitman named Frank Sheeran who shortly before his death claimed to have murdered Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa (whose disappearance remains one of the great mysteries of all-time). Sheeran also laid claim to having participated in war crimes while in the army during WWII, said he was involved in the planning of the ill-fated Bay of Pigs invasion and claimed to have inside knowledge of JFK's assassination.

come out of retirement and the cast. Al Pacino has been cast as Jimmy Hoffa, and Harvey Keitel is also in talks to play Angelo Bruno.

Romano previously worked with Scorsese on the HBO show Vinyl, playing the record company promotions man Zak Yankovich. His appearance in The Irishman may reunite him with Vinyl co-star Bobby Cannavale, who is reportedly in talks to Scorsese's cast. Romano can currently be seen in the hit indie film The Big Sick alongside Kumail Nanjiani and Zoe Kazan.

In speaking about The Irishman, Scorsese noted that the film de-aging CGI on his older actors, a move that will significantly expand the movie's budget.

With its story involving an older man looking back on his life, and a cast that includes a number of one-time Scorsese regulars who have not worked with the director in many years, it's hard to not think of The Irishman as Scorsese deliberately and meaningfully gazing backward across the span of his own career. Scorsese may be getting up there in years himself, but he doesn't seem to be losing any vitality as a filmmaker, and there's no reason to think of The Irishman as some kind of swan song even if it does have the feeling of getting the band back together one last time.

Next: Joe Pesci Confirmed for Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman

Source: Variety