Martin Scorsese’s SILENCE Finally Getting Made

Director Martin Scorsese’s passion project Silence is finally going to happen.  The adaptation of the Shusaku Endo novel has been talked about for about 15 years, and now after completing The Wolf of Wall Street (with Leonardo DiCaprio) Deadline reports that financing for Silence has been secured.

Written by Scorsese and Jay Cocks, the story takes place in the 17th century and follows a group of missionaries sent to Japan in order to investigate the reported torturing of Christians by the country’s emperor.

The plan is for filming to begin in Taiwan in July 2014.

Martin Scorsese to Direct Bill Clinton Documentary for HBO

Martin Scorsese is currently  working on The Wolf of Wall Street with Leonardo DiCaprio [read more], will produce a documentary about Roger Ebert [read more], and will finally get to work on the Sinatra biopic [read more].  Now the man will The New York Times says Scorsese will direct and produce a documentary about former President Bill Clinton for HBO.  Clinton said of the project:

“I am pleased that legendary director Martin Scorsese and HBO have agreed to do this film. I look forward to sharing my perspective on my years as President, and my work in the years since, with HBO’s audience.”

I’m a fan of Scorsese music docs: No Direction Home, Shine a Light, and George Harrison: Living in the Material World; so it should be entertaining all the same – just get Clinton on the sax Marty.

Roger Ebert’s Memoir LIFE ITSELF Optioned for Documentary

I’ve been reading Roger Ebert’s reviews and musings for as long as I can remember, there are many times when I disagree with his views and opinions but there is no refuting the man’s talent when it comes to his work as a critic.

I read Ebert’s Memoir Life Itself  last year and can say that it is a great read and fascinating look into the lift of the world’s most notable critic of movies.  So it’s no surprise now that some movie masters want to take the work and make it into a documentary.  As Ebert said on his Twitter:

“Whoa! My memoir has been optioned for a doc by Steve James (“Hoop Dreams”) and Steven Zaillian, with Martin Scorsese as exec producer.”

Steve James directed one of the best documentaries of all time (Hoop Dreams), Steven Zaillian is an Oscar-winning screenwriter (Schindler’s List, Moneyball), and Martin Scorsese is God (Goodfellas, Casino, Hugo).  More details will start to come in soon I hope, in the meantime IndieWire got some more comments from Ebert:

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Martin Scorsese’s SINATRA Moving Forward, Finally

It’s been a few years since Martin Scorsese talked about doing his Sinatra project; we finally have some evidence of the movie moving forward now.  As he gets ready to direct The Wolf of Wall Street, huffingtonpost.com let us know that Universal Pictures has Billy Ray (State of Play, The Hunger Games) to write the screenplay for the biopic Sinatra biopic.

We don’t know what the film will cover, but it’s good to know it might see the light of day soon enough.  People will start speculating on who should play Frank Sinatra, would Leonardo DiCaprio work?  Scorsese likes him some Leonardo DiCaprio.

There was a first draft of Sinatra written by Phil Alden Robinson (Field of Dreams), but Universal was looking for take on it.  Scott Rudin (No Country for Old Men, The Social Network) is the film’s producer alongside Sinatra’s daughter Tina.

Pardon? RAGING BULL 2 Is Filming Right Now, For True You Guys

The Internet Movie Database says it’s real, Variety says it’s real – but I don’t want to believe it.  Raging Bull II is being directed by Martin Guigui, who seems to works with a lot of talent in movies that seem to disappear overnight (Beneath the Darkness, Changing Hearts).  It’s a prequel/sequel to Martin Scorsese’s masterpiece Raging Bull, that’s a lot to live up to, I mean you wouldn’t make a sequel to Citizen Kane would you?

The film stars William Forsythe as the older Jake LaMotta, and Mojean Aria who plays the younger version of LaMotta (scenes that take place before Scorsese’s film).  Forsythe is awesome and for me was memorable recently as Manny on Boardwalk Empire.

I don’t know what this movie will be or what kind of release it thinks it’s going to get, but they have me curious I’ll say that much.

TODAY’S LINKS: The Hunger Games Returns, The Wolf of Wall Street, Sin City 2 and More

A collection of film, TV and entertainment related links from across the web.
Got a link? Send it our way!

• Michael Pitt to write, produce, and star in adaptation of YOU CAN’T WIN. [variety]
• THE HUNGER GAMES heads back to IMAX theaters, if you missed it. [deadline]
• Mickey Rourke and Rosario Dawson to return for SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR. [mtv]
• Red-Band Trailer for HIGH SCHOOL, it’s 4/20 bro! [hulu]
• Martin Scorsese to Direct Leonardo DiCaprio in THE WOLF OF WALL STREET is confirmed. [thr]
• Mark Wahlberg to become the AVON MAN. [comingsoon]

First Trailer for RUBY SPARKS Starring Paul Dano and Zoe Kazan.

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Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio Finally Making THE WOLF OF WALL STREET

Just over a year ago we were talking about The Wolf of Wall Street and how it would reunite Martin Scorsese with Leonardo DiCaprio, nothing wrong with that now is there?  Scorsese stepped away from the project but now Deadline reports he is ready to get back in the saddle and shooting is set to begin in August.  The Wolf of Wall Street follows a script is by Boardwalk Empire producer Terence Winter based on the memoir of the same name by Jordan Belfort.

Belfort’s memoir follows his days as a hard partying, drug addicted stockbroker who was indicted in 1998 for security fraud and money laundering and served a 22-month federal prison stretch.  Read more about him and his tale of financial woe in his Wiki page.

FYI: This would be their fifth collaboration after The Aviator, Gangs of New York, The Departed and Shutter Island.