Martin Scorsese, the Oscar-winning director behind some of cinema’s most iconic works, was scheduled to shoot two highly anticipated films back-to-back this year: the biblical epic “The Life of Jesus,” based on Shusaku Endo’s 1973 novel, and a biopic of legendary singer Frank Sinatra. But Variety has learned that both projects have been postponed and neither will shoot this year.
Scorsese’s “Life of Jesus” was expected to be the first of the two projects to go into production. No official cast has been announced, but a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Variety that the film is still in development. Scorsese is committed to making a film about a Christian leader, which he will reportedly self-finance. He took a similar approach with his 2016 epic drama “Silence,” also based on Endo’s novel. The director had hoped to film in Israel, Italy, and Egypt, but these locations have yet to be finalized. Based on Endo’s novel, “Life of Jesus” promises to explore the complex human and divine aspects of Christ, similar to Scorsese’s earlier film, “The Last Temptation of Christ.” No official cast has been announced for the film, but big names such as Oscar nominee Andrew Garfield are rumored to be attached to the project.
The Sinatra biopic, which has generated a great deal of excitement in the industry, was once scheduled for a November release and appeared to be on track, but sources believed to be involved in the production say that artisans and other key personnel who had signed on to the Sinatra project were informed in mid-August that the November release date had been cancelled and that the date would not be extended.
Scorsese has been planning to adapt Ol’ Blue Eyes into a film since he first announced the project in 2009. The film would be produced by Universal Pictures and Manderlay Pictures, with a script written by Phil Alden Robinson. Apple and Sony were rumored to be interested, but no studios have yet to sign a deal.
A key question surrounding the Sinatra film is whether it has received the approval of the Sinatra Estate, which is managed by his daughter, Tina Sinatra. The estate’s approval is crucial as the film will delve into a volatile period in the singer’s life. The film, rumored to feature Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence in talks to star, will focus on Sinatra’s tumultuous marriage to actress Ava Gardner, which shook Hollywood and led to the breakdown of his first marriage to Nancy Barbato, the mother of Sinatra’s daughter, Tina. Without the family’s official approval, the film’s future is uncertain.
Despite the delays, Scorsese, 81, still has plenty of work to do. He’s busy as an executive producer on a number of projects, including Celina Murga’s infidelity drama “The Freshly Cut Grass,” which premiered at this year’s TriBeCa Film Festival. He’s also set to collaborate with Steven Spielberg on the Apple TV+ series “Cape Fear.” The two will executive produce the project, which is based on the 1991 and 1962 Universal films. (Scorsese directed the 1991 noir thriller, which Spielberg’s Amblin Entertainment produced.)
With an illustrious career spanning six decades, Scorsese is currently the most-nominated living director at the Academy Awards, with 10 nominations, second only to William Wyler with 12. Scorsese finally got his own Oscar for the thriller The Departed (2006), which won Best Picture.
