After reports that Paramount was balking at the ballooning budget of Martin Scorsese's $200-million-plus `Killers of the Flower Moon`, it was reported on Wednesday that the distributor has teamed up with Apple to get the film made.

Paramount will distribute the murder mystery drama and Apple has boarded to finance the project and serve as its creative studio. The deal hasn't closed yet.

Last month the Wall Street Journal reported that Paramount, spooked at the rising cost of the film, told Scorsese to seek out other partners. The director reportedly reached out to Apple, Netflix, Universal, and MGM - all entities Paramount would be willing to take on as partners.

The film will reunite Scorsese and longtime collaborators Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro and is based on the 2017 true-crime book `Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI.` The story centers on members of an Oklahoma Native American tribe, whose murders in the 1920s sparked a major federal investigation.

Apple, which recently reported over $200 billion in cash on hand, has shown an eagerness to spend big on the best talent since the launch of its streaming service last fall. Unlike traditional studios, the tech giant seems to be operating its entertainment holdings as a loss leader, with the $4.99 Apple TV+ service an enticing bonus to keep people in the company's ecosystem.

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Having a movie with #LeonardoDicaprio and #RobertDeNiro attached to star, comes with a hefty price. Martin Scorsese has found a deep-pocketed partner to produce his new crime drama, 'Killers of the Flower Moon.' Head to link in bio for everything we know so far on the high-priced period thriller. (📸:@gettyentertainment)

A post shared by Hollywood Reporter (@hollywoodreporter) on May 28, 2020 at 6:00pm PDT

Apple teamed with A24 on the record-breaking $12 million acquisition of documentary `Boys State` at Sundance, another indication of its interest in reaching into its pockets for collaborations with theatrical distributors. For a burgeoning streaming service trying to make its name in a sea of competitors, theatrical releases could help boost the profile of its exclusives.