Australian casino mogul James Packer paid millions of dollars to superstars Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro for a one-minute commercial for his new City of Dreams resort in the Philippines. And he hired Martin Scorsese to direct.
Packer, dubbed an “aspiring Harvey Weinstein” by the Sydney Morning Herald, reportedly paid the actors more than $15 million each to appear in the advertisement, filmed on location at the City of Dreams casino in Manila.
The overall cost of the film has been estimated at more than $70 million. Some film blogs are reporting there will be a follow-up advertisement starring Brad Pitt.
GGRAsia reports that City of Dreams, which had a soft opening in mid-December, plans a splashy grand opening party to be held at the property February 2, two weeks before the Chinese New Year. Though Melco Crown wouldn’t confirm the date, tickets for the party are being sold online through SM Tickets, a subsidiary of SM Lifestyle Entertainment Inc.
