Re-confirming what we reported back in February 2011, Martin Scorsese caught up with Mark Kermode and Simon Mayo on BBC 5 in December and once again posited that his Jesuit priest drama “Silence” will be his next film. “I’m hoping to do [Shusaku] Endo’s book next, ‘Silence,’” Scorsese began before correcting himself. “I’m not hoping, we’re literally pulling all of the elements together at this point.”
The drama will center on 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. Initial reports pegged Daniel Day-Lewis, Benicio Del Toro and Gael Garcia Bernal as the stars, but that was very early days, probably contingent on financing coming together and various other factors, and there is no word yet if any of them will still be on board by the time cameras start rolling.
When asked about whether Daniel Day-Lewis will be starring in the film, Scorsese said, “I’m not sure. Daniel’s working with Steve, right now, Steve Spielberg [on ‘Lincoln’].” That doesn’t mean Day-Lewis won’t be in the film, but the actor generally doesn’t even discuss such matters until he finishes whatever project he's currently working on. Simply put, when "Lincoln" wraps, that's when DDL will start thinking about "Silence" and begin having that conversation.
During the same interview, Scorsese talked about his upcoming HBO series he's been developing with Mick Jagger and "Boardwalk Empire" writer Terence Winter. The project would center on a cocaine-addled music executive during the heady year of 1977, at the crossroads of punk, disco, hip-hop and new wave, and use it as a jump off point to explore the industry. He said, “I’m excited to do another HBO series on the rock and roll business in the 60s, 70s, up to the ‘90s.” When the show’s host joked about the HBO series being filmed in 3D, Scorsese wouldn’t take the possibility off the table: “There are cameras now…we’re looking at it. It’s literally 3D without glasses.”
Scorsese’s masterful use of 3D in “Hugo” has shown it can be used in a manner that is immersive and artful, and his use of the format has been no mere one night stand. He's already considering shooting "Silence" in 3D and if he can help bring three dimensions to the small screen without glasses, it will be another technological leap that may be the best boost for the format yet.
