Ok, so a 3D adaptation of the children's book The Invention of Hugo Cabret probably makes for the least anticipated
Martin Scorsese movie for as long as we can remember (we aren't writing it off and it has a great cast, but we fear it isn't being made for us) but from the word that leaked last night, we may not have to wait very long until Scorsese returns to more pleasing, adult-themed ideas. It's been revealed by Scorsese's people to
The Playlist that his next movie after the December opening Hugo Cabret will be
Silence, his long-gestated drama "about two 17th century Jesuit priests who face violence and persecution when they travel to Japan to locate their mentor and to spread the gospel of Christianity". It is an adaptation of
Shusaku Endos 60's published novel. We last spoke about the project
in 2009 when Scorsese was lining up the acting heavyweights Daniel Day-Lewis, Benicio Del Toro and Gael Garcia Bernal to star and it goes without saying, we very much hope they have stayed attached. Silence, setup at GK Films (where he made The Departed) - has been the best part of a ten year passion project for Scorsese and currently his Age of Innocence & long time Gangs of New York screenwriter
Jay Cocks is putting together the final touches to his script. Although start dates are unknown, presumably with Cabret not yet done, Scorsese won't be free to direct until next year? However, as a lot of other sites have pointed out, Silence has been "Scorsese's next film" for years but he keeps making other things and with
Day-Lewis filming the Abraham Lincoln biopic with Steven Spielberg for the majority of 2012, one of the key players & selling points for Silence probably won't be available. Plus, there's the small matter of this project...
It was also revealed last night that Scorsese has once again become attached to
The Wolf of Wall Street, and with
Leonardo DiCaprio possibly freeing up his schedule post-Hoover this Summer, you would have to be a brave man to bet against this project actually being Scorsese's next film.
The Hollywood Reporter ran an article last night claiming that the financial details and shooting schedule of The Wolf of Wall Street would be revealed in Cannes this May and if financing is indeed secured, this project is in a much healthier shape than Silence. The Wolf of Wall Street is
Jordan Belfort's detailed biography of his life as a drugs, sex and alcohol addicted Gordon Gekko esque stockbroker in the early 90's and who served jail time for stock market manipulation. Over the years the biography has nearly been made for film by both Warner Bros. and Paramount, and indeed directors Ridley Scott and Martin Scorsese, always with DiCaprio attached for the lead role. Back when Scorsese attempted to make the film in 2007, The Soprano's writer Terence Writer had scripted the movie, and from the sounds of thing his draft will be resurrected now that Scorsese/DiCaprio are back on board. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_SrlWsGITB0 But then where does that leave
The Irishman? Can somebody clone Scorsese? Personally speaking, I think Wolf of Wall Street will probably end up being Scorsese's next picture as working with DiCaprio is such a pulling power for him (and financiers, obviously) and he's likely to make that with the A-lister next year, possibly after DiCaprio has squeezed in another project after Eastwood's Hoover. I guess we'll hear for certain in Cannes.