Martin Scorsese's next film will be on Jesus and '80 minutes' long

You’d think Martin Scorsese would be busy reeling in the applause for his latest film Killers of the Flower Moon but the filmmaker has already moved on. The filmmaker shared the themes for his next film which will be based on Shūsaku Endō’s book A Life of Jesus. In a recent interview with the LA Times, the filmmaker said that his next film will be set mostly in the present day and while it will be a religious film but it will feel “timeless”.

Before this, Martin Scorsese also adapted Shūsaku Endō’s Silence, which he adapted into the 2016 historical drama starring Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver.

The LA Times said, “Scorsese doesn’t want to be locked into a certain period, because he wants the film to feel timeless.” They also added that Scorsese wants the film to be at least 80 minutes and will focus on “Jesus’ core teachings in a way that explores the principles but doesn’t proselytize.”

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Quoted in the paper, Martin Scorsese said, “I’m trying to find a new way to make it more accessible and take away the negative onus of what has been associated with organised religion. Right now, ‘religion,’ you say that word and everyone is up in arms because it’s failed in so many ways. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that the initial impulse was wrong. Let’s get back. 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. That’s all I’m talking about. And I’m saying that as a person who’s going to be 81 in a couple of days.”

Meanwhile, Scorsese has finished writing the screenplay for the Jesus movie with critic and filmmaker Kent Jones.

As for his current Oscar favourite, Killers of the Flower Moon was nominated for seven Golden Globes and took home one win. It is expected that the film will earn nominations in all major categories in the Academy Awards 2024.