8 Years Later, Martin Scorsese's New Movie Will Redeem a Divisive $23M Flop

Summary

• Martin Scorsese plans to direct two movies in 2024.
• One of them is a religious story based on a book by the author of Silence.
• The new project may star Andrew Garfield and will definitely make up for the failure of Silence.

Martin Scorsese is certainly no match for his Hollywood counterparts like Francis Ford Coppola, 85, Ridley Scott, 86, or Clint Eastwood, 93, but at 81, he is also an incredibly prolific filmmaker, directing and producing projects almost every year.

And it seems that Mr. Scorsese has recently become even more active, as 2024 alone will see the back-to-back production of his two personal films. In other words, the representative of the New Wave of the 70s and now a legend of 21st century Hollywood does not intend to retire.

Speaking of the two upcoming films, it is a biopic about Frank Sinatra and Ava Gardner, which will be played by DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, as well as another adaptation of the book written by Japanese Christian writer Shūsaku Endō.

Yes, Scorsese previously adapted one of Endō's novels, Silence, which delighted critics, sparked debate about the subject matter, and became an absolute box office bomb. However, a new movie that also emphasizes religious themes could make up for 2016's failure. And the reason for the possible success is that the new movie may star Andrew Garfield (but that's not yet certain).

What's the New Scorsese Movie?

'I'm trying to find a new way to make it more accessible and take away the negative onus of what has been associated with organized religion,' Scorsese told Los Angeles Times in January.

'Right now, "religion," you say that word and everyone is up in arms because it's failed in so many ways. But that doesn't mean necessarily that the initial impulse was wrong. Let's get back. Let's just think about it. You may reject it. But it might make a difference in how you live your life — even in rejecting it. Don't dismiss it offhand.'

The upcoming film, which is expected to begin production later this year, is called A Life of Jesus, and its plot is based on the novel of the same name by Shūsaku Endō. Endō was raised by a single mother who was a devout Christian, so the Japanese writer was influenced by religion from an early age. However, unlike in neighboring Korea, Christianity was not as widespread in Japan for one reason or another (much as described in Silence), so Endō, an ardent Catholic, decided to write a book that would present the life of Jesus in simple and understandable language for the Japanese.

Apparently, the film adaptation will be very unconventional, as Scorsese will not emphasize any particular historical period, as he wants the story to feel 'timeless'.

Reunion With Andrew Garfield Could Redeem Silence

And, of course, Scorsese has expressed a desire to reunite for a new project with Andrew Garfield, who starred in Silence as Sebastião Rodrigues, a Jesuit priest who faced opposition from Christianity and was forced to stay in Japan permanently.

Silence, with a budget of $40-50 million, grossed only $23.8 million worldwide, but the new film, also based on Endō's work, could remedy the situation if it is more warmly received by audiences.

And that's quite possible, since a biography of Jesus is a much less controversial subject than one that deals with the issue of Christian faith in a place where other beliefs, traditions, and intellectual systems have developed over centuries.

In addition, Silence was overburdened with a complex narrative, and with an insane running time of nearly three hours, Silence was unfortunately more of a niche work. A Life of Jesus, on the other hand, will be only 80 minutes long and certainly more audience friendly.

Source: Los Angeles Times.