After the massive scale of “The Irishman” and “Killers of the Flower Moon,” we’re all wondering what is next for Martin Scorsese.
Last night, a reader attended a Q&A event with Scorsese at the Jacob Burns Film Center in Pleasantville following a screening of his Powell and Pressburger doc “Made in England.”
Scorsese mentioned he’s working on a “limited series,” and wants to direct it straight through, unlike “Boardwalk Empire” or “Vinyl” where he only helmed the pilots. I gather this might also be an HBO produced show — Scorsese has a strong relationship with them.
I found that if I were to do a series, and I tried, I was only able to direct the pilot episodes. With “Vinyl,” by the end of the first season, I felt like I should have been more involved.
Scorsese also mentioned that his adaptation of Marilynne Robinson’s novel “Home” is likely to be next, possibly after his Jesus film. Scorsese added that he doesn’t really want to do another big film with hundreds of extras ever again.
This could mean that “The Wager” and “Sinatra” are not happening. If you remember, last year Scorsese flirted with the idea of co-directing “The Wager,” based on David Grann’s book of the same name. The film would have involved plenty of arduous water scenes.
Scorsese entering a new phase of more intimate filmmaking at the twilight of his career could make for some very interesting cinema. He hasn’t delved in a low budget production since … 1999’s “Bringing Out the Dead”?
Since 2001, Scorsese has only been directing these massive productions (“Gangs of New York,” “The Aviator,” “The Departed,” “The Irishman,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “The Wolf of Wall Street”). All well-received, with plenty of Oscar nominations, but it sure sounds like he’s finally done with this phase of his career.
Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.