Martin Scorsese has been talking about adapting the novel SILENCE since 1991. He has gone through various stages of development including a lawsuit from a producer for filming THE WOLF OF WALL STREET before SILENCE. Well, after all that hullabaloo, Scorsese has secured funding for SILENCE as part of a two picture deal, with production slated to begin next summer.
SILENCE is going to be a much different film than what Scorsese has made in recent years. The dense novel by Shusaku Endo focuses on religion, a topic that Martin Scorsese has not tackled since his 1997 film KUNDUN. But, while that film was about the Dalai Lama, this movie will be about Christianity. Here’s a brief plot synopsis:
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.
At various stages we have heard actors linked to this project have included Benicio Del Toro, Daniel Day-Lewis, and Gael Garcia Bernal. Could we potentially find Leonardo DiCaprio or even Robert De Niro reuniting with Scorsese to film this movie? With THE WOLF OF WALL STREET set for release in November, SILENCE could be another potential Oscar contender for the 70 year old director. I will see anything he directs, regardless of plot, so bring on SILENCE.