As far as passion projects go, Silence may well take the biscuit. First hatched more than two decades ago by the illustrious Martin Scorsese, for one reason or another, the historical epic fell onto the director’s back-burner as he mulled over casting decisions – Daniel Day-Lewis, Benicio del Toro and Gael García Bernal were attached early on – location shooting, and even the possibility of utiziling 3D.
It’s been a long and meandering road, then, but Deadline brings word today that Scorsese and Co. have finally locked eyes on a finish line. Thrusting Silence directly into the crowded awards season, Paramount has penciled Scorsese’s latest in for theatrical release on December 23, where it will open directly opposite Juan Antonio Bayona’s tear-jerker A Monster Calls.
It’s only a few days shy of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – the big heavyweight to watch out for – along with other marquee releases in the vein of Assassin’s Creed and Patriots Day. The Weinstein Company has also aligned Gold for release on Christmas Day, where the Matthew McConaughey-fronted success story will be rubbing shoulders with Fences. Strap in, folks; we’re in for a busy season.
Circling back to Silence, though, Martin Scorsese’s long-in-development picture stars Liam Neeson and Andrew Garfield as two Jesuit Catholic priests on a pilgrimage to Japan. Based on the novel penned by Shūsaku Endō, an early report claimed Scorsese’s latest is also his longest, weighing in at an eye-watering 195 minutes in length. That’s yet to be confirmed by Paramount, but we’ll be keeping a close eye on this one as it finally inches closer to release. December 23 is the date for your diaries.