Following the success of Killers of the Flower Moon, celebrated filmmaker Martin Scorsese is charting a new cinematic course with an upcoming project centered on the life of Jesus Christ.
In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, the 80-year-old director shared his vision for a religious film based on Shūsaku Endō’s book, “A Life of Jesus.”
Martin Scorsese aims to present a fresh perspective on organized religion, attempting to make it more accessible and devoid of negative connotations. The director encourages viewers to reconsider religion without immediate dismissal, stating,
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.
Unlike his previous religious film, The Last Temptation of Christ, Scorsese envisions the new project to be predominantly set in the present day, emphasizing a timeless quality. With a planned runtime of around 80 minutes, it marks a departure from the lengthy duration of Flower Moon.
The film, co-written by Martin Scorsese and critic-filmmaker Kent Jones, will focus on Jesus’ fundamental teachings without adopting a proselytizing approach. While details about the plot and casting remain undisclosed, Martin Scorsese is determined to commence filming later this year, underscoring his unwavering commitment to the project.
Amidst the anticipation for this spiritual exploration, Scorsese’s previously announced film, The Wager, based on David Grann’s book and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, is currently on hold. The decision, revealed in October, was attributed to Scorsese’s dedication to promoting Killers of the Flower Moon and addressing post-writer’s strike challenges.
Explaining the pause on The Wager, Martin Scorsese mentioned, “Let me take a break. We’ll get working with writers and see if we get it on the page. And maybe it’s something I could co-direct, so to speak. It’ll be difficult. But there are ways now, with certain technical things we could do, to make it bearable. Depending on how we get the script together.”
