During his long career, American film directorMartin Scorsese has worked on a number of projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction. Some of these productions fell indevelopment hell or were cancelled.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Scorsese said that in the early 1960s, while he was still trying to make his first feature, he had considered making a film of thegospel, but set on theLower East Side in thetenements of contemporaryManhattan. The film was to have been shot inblack-and-white with theJesuscrucifixion filmed on theWest Side docks, but after Scorsese sawPier Paolo Pasolini'sThe Gospel According to St. Matthew, he decided to abandon the project.[7]
Scorsese originally intended forWho's That Knocking at My Door andMean Streets to be the second and third installments in a planned "spiritual trilogy" of films that dealt with themes of crime andCatholic guilt. The first, titledJerusalem, Jerusalem, would have starredHarvey Keitel in the role of J.R. and was centered around aseminaryretreat.[2][4]
Scorsese was originally hired to directThe Honeymoon Killers as his second film in 1969, when it was under the working titleDear Martha, but he was fired by the film's producer early into the shoot for working too slowly. Only a few scenes he directed remain in the finished film.[8][9] According to Scorsese, he attempted to craft a film in the vein ofCarl Theodor Dreyer.[5] "Instead of just making the film, I was trying to make a reputation. And I twisted and turned it in different ways stylistically. I tried to make it something it shouldn't have been," he conceded, "I was fired from that after one week, and rightly so."[10]
In 1969, Scorsese and screenwriterJay Cocks approached authorPhilip K. Dick about adapting hisdystopiansci-fi novelDo Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? to film. Though the two never got around to optioning the rights, Dick's novel was eventually made as the filmBlade Runner, in 1982.[11]
Scorsese also started work on awar film in 1969, and later stated that it "was supposed to end with the opening speech fromPatton".Oliver Wood was going to be the cinematographer and it was going to be shot using16 mm film, except for an erotic flashback using35 mm film, using the color palette of a 1940s film. He had to wait until afterAlice Doesn't Live Here Anymore to begin production, but it was cancelled two days before filming was set to begin due to financial problems.[12]
Scorsese almost directedAl Pacino in 1973'sSerpico.[13]
Francis Ford Coppola first met with Scorsese about directingThe Godfather sequel, impressed with his talent and not wanting to do it himself at the time. Despite campaigning to have Scorsese hired, the executives atParamount Pictures refused to have someone other than Coppola.[14][15][16] Scorsese later admitted that he would not have been the right choice to direct the film anyways: "I would've made something interesting, but [Coppola's] maturity was already there. I still had this kind of edgy thing, the wild kid running around."[17]
Scorsese had read the script for, and sought to directThe Yakuza, though he was not the person that screenwriterPaul Schrader had wanted. Instead,Sydney Pollack was chosen.[18]
Scorsese was considering adapting severalFyodor Dostoevsky novels, in particularlyNotes from Underground before he was offeredTaxi Driver byPaul Schrader. Since the story and themes inTaxi Driver were heavily influenced byNotes from Underground, he didn't feel the need to repeat himself by making a similar film.[2]
After the release ofTaxi Driver, Scorsese was approached by actorMarlon Brando with the proposition of directing a film dramatization of the novelBury My Heart at Wounded Knee, about theinfamous Lakota Indian massacre.[19] The adaptation never materialized.[5]
Scorsese was one of the directors trying to get an adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's book by the same name made, but was unsuccessful[20]
Scorsese nearly directed a film ofAnne Edwards' novelHaunted Summer, about the creation ofMary Shelley'sFrankenstein, and the summer she spent with poetsPercy Bysshe Shelley andLord Byron. He ultimately opted to doNew York, New York instead.[21][5]
In 1978, Scorsese began working on a new script withJay Cocks titledNight Life, which dealt with "a fraternal rivalry".[22] However, he withdrew from the project as some of the ideas forNight Life were incorporated intoRaging Bull and he was hired to directThe King of Comedy.[23]
In the late 1970s, Scorsese andRobert De Niro wanted to make a feature film out of a short story called "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities" byDelmore Schwartz, and had worked on a script briefly before switching gears toRaging Bull. Later, Scorsese toyed with the notion of adapting the story for his short film segment ofNew York Stories.[24]
Sometime in the early 1980s, Scorsese became interested in developing and directing afilm biopic centered on theJim Morrison story, and of his bandThe Doors. Other directors who actively pursued this project around the same time included the likes ofWilliam Friedkin andFrancis Ford Coppola, beforeOliver Stone made the eventual1991 biopic.[25][26]
A separateremake ofScarface was pursued by Scorsese andRobert De Niro, who had urgedAl Pacino to suggest a director to producerMartin Bregman, otherwise De Niro would take on the lead role himself in the Scorsese version. Pacino eventually settled onBrian De Palma.[27][28]
In 1983, producerDavid Geffen was initially going to team withSteven Spielberg and Scorsese forthe film adaptation of theoff-Broadway musicalLittle Shop of Horrors, to be shot in3-D.[29] With Scorsese at the helm and Spielberg as an executive producer, plans for this version ultimately fell through[30] when a lawsuit was filed by theoriginal film's screenwriter and actor,Charles B. Griffith.
Scorsese admitted he turned down the offer to directBeverly Hills Cop.[31]
Scorsese also turned down the offer to directWitness.[32]
In 1984,Paul Schrader wrote a screenplay for aGeorge Gershwin biopic for Scorsese to direct. In August 1993, it was reported that Scorsese was to direct a Gershwin film, withRobert De Niro andRichard Dreyfuss attached to star and the screenplay written byJohn Guare.[33]
After development ofGershwin fell through, Scorsese andPaul Schrader began pursuing concepts for a potential remake of the 1952 filmThe Bad and the Beautiful, withRobert De Niro starring in theKirk Douglas role. "It would be about our three lives: writer, director and actor," Schrader said, "So I did an outline and met [Scorsese and De Niro] both and it turned out to be very acrimonious." Schrader ultimately opted not to move forward as writer on the project following a screenwriting credit dispute with Scorsese.[34] Scorsese, De Niro and screenwriterEric Roth later considering an iteration of this idea to be realized in the form of a spinoff toThe Irishman, but decided against it. The concept included incorporating unused footage and behind-the-scenes pieces fromThe Irishman.[35]
In 1985, novelistRichard Price wrote a script for Scorsese based on the 1950film noirNight and the City, which fellow filmmakerBertrand Tavernier insisted he could do a great remake of. However, Scorsese was ultimately not interested in doing remakes at the time and decided to instead doThe Color of Money, using Price as the writer.[36]
ThoughDustin Hoffman was hesitant to star in the role, he had suggested Scorsese to direct an adaptation ofElmore Leonard's novelLaBrava for producerWalter Mirisch. At the end of 1985, when Hoffman finally committed to the role of ex-Secret Service agent Joe LaBrava, the film landed at the independentCannon Films, after being rejected byFox,Disney andGeffen. Despite securing funding, Scorsese balked at the prospect of making a film for a company he didn't know and decided to bail. For his part, Hoffman later said that Mirisch had set up the Cannon deal without his knowledge.LaBrava was eventually scrapped, after failure to find an available replacement director.[37]
In the late 1970s, actorAl Pacino commissionedRichard Price to write a screenplay based onModigliani: A Play in Three Acts, about the tragic life of 20th-century painterAmedeo Modigliani.[13] Pacino showed the script to various directors, with the intention being for Pacino to star as the painter. In the late 1980s, Scorsese read the screenplay and loved it,[13] and agreed to direct, tellingEmpire magazine in 2019: "It was about the extraordinary struggle to create art. The sadness of it, the absinthe [...] It really would have been something special, I think."[38] Pacino and Scorsese shopped the project around studios, but faced constant rejection.[13][39]
Scorsese was one of the directors who turned down the offer to directSteve Shagan's adaptation ofThe Sicilian.The film would eventually be rewritten and directed byMichael Cimino.[40]
Scorsese was approached to directDick Tracy beforeWarren Beatty wound up directing the film.[41]
In 1988,Steven Spielberg offered Scorsese the opportunity to directSchindler's List, believing that he wasn't mature enough as a filmmaker to tackle the story.[42] Scorsese developed it with screenwriterSteven Zaillian, but felt that Spielberg would be better to tell the story, as he was Jewish,[17] and was still facing backlash forThe Last Temptation of Christ.[43] Spielberg similarly wanted to work on the film again, so he arranged for Scorsese to directCape Fear, which he had been developing, while Spielberg would return toSchindler's List.[44][45]
In 1989, musicianRobbie Robertson and Scorsese announced they were planning a sequel of sorts toThe Last Waltz calledRobbie Robertson and Friends. The project was initially going to be televised concert in collaboration withPeter Gabriel andU2, who were both unavailable at the time. Instead, Robertson expanded it into a theatrical film, explaining that it would be "a combination ofThe Red Shoes andAll That Jazz, only dealing with music instead of dance."[5]
In 1990, Scorsese signed on to direct a screenplay forWarner Bros. based onAlan Greenberg's biographyLove in Vain, about the life of blues musicianRobert Johnson. The film never came to fruition because it would have taken years to make.[46][47]
Around 1990, following the critical and commercial success ofGoodfellas, Scorsese pursued a film epic aboutTheodora's relationship with emperorJustinian I, and the founding of theByzantine Empire.[5] NovelistGore Vidal was set up atUniversal Pictures to write the script forTheodora, but the project never materialized. "Marty says that seven years is about right to get a picture made nowadays," said Vidal in 1994. "We're waiting on new technology, to show battle scenes withoutBen-Hur prices."[48]
Sometime in the early 1990s, Scorsese attempted to make a film based on theLou Reed song "Dirty Blvd.", from his 1989 albumNew York. PlaywrightReinaldo Povod wrote the screenplay, and had died shortly after its completion.[24]
In 1992, Scorsese acquired the film adaptation rights toNick Tosches's biography aboutDean Martin titledDino.[49] Scorsese hadTom Hanks in mind to portray Martin. The ideal cast also consisted ofJohn Travolta asFrank Sinatra,Hugh Grant asPeter Lawford,Adam Sandler asJoey Bishop andJim Carrey asJerry Lewis.[50] The screenplay was written byNicholas Pileggi.[51][52] Scorsese also worked with on another script withIrwin Winkler andPaul Schrader about Martin's life during his "swingingOcean's 11 days", before confirming in 2004 that he had given up on the project altogether.[53][54]
In May 1993, it was reported that Scorsese would potentially direct the American remake of the 1963Akira Kurosawa filmHigh and Low forUniversal Pictures, withDavid Mamet andRichard Price writing the script.[55] Later, in 2008, it was reported thatMike Nichols was to direct Mamet's script, with Scorsese serving as executive producer.[56][57]
In September 1993, it was reported that Scorsese had committed to directing star/producerWarren Beatty's long-in-development filmOcean of Storms. Beatty himself would have starred as an aging astronaut who returns to the space program after many years to recapture his former glory. The original script was written byTony Bill and Ben Young Mason, with subsequent multiple revisions.[58]
Thefilm version ofRichard Price's novelClockers originally entered production with Scorsese attached to direct, having previously collaborated with author Price on his 1986 filmThe Color of Money. Scorsese eventually dropped out of production to focus on his passion projectCasino, at which pointSpike Lee stepped in to direct and rewrite the script. Scorsese remained a co-producer alongside Lee.[59]
In 1994, Scorsese became attached to direct a new film on the gossip columnist and radio commentatorWalter Winchell. The script was written bySteve Zaillian, adapted from the biographyWinchell: Gossip, Power and the Culture of Celebrity byNeal Gabler.[60]Dustin Hoffman andTom Hanks were both, at different points, set to portray Winchell.[61] Scorsese had considered making the film at various stages; followingKundun,Bringing Out the Dead,[62] andGangs of New York.[63]
In 1995, following the publication and reception ofRichard Pryor's autobiographyPryor Convictions: And Other Life Sentences, Scorsese started developing a film based on the book as a potential directing project.Damon Wayans was cast as the comedian, with Pryor himself and his wife Jennifer Lee consulting andRobert O'Hara writing the script. Filming was supposed to begin in late 1996 or early 1997, with the working title ofLive, but the project was held up due to Scorsese's indecisiveness.[64]
Robert De Niro had apparently wanted Scorsese to directAnalyze This but he turned it down: "We already did it. It wasGoodfellas," he told De Niro.[17]
| External videos | |
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 Martin Scorsese's FRANK SINATRA Movie - Unmade Biopics on YouTube(45:14) |
In 1999, development began on a decade-spanning project Scorsese was attached to direct, initially withJohn Travolta andTom Hanks both lined up to star asFrank Sinatra andDean Martin, respectively. "Marty just can't get the script he wants," Travolta told theOttawa Sun at the time, "otherwise we're all there."[65] This was originally meant to be a biopic of theRat Pack group, but ended up morphing into a film solely about Sinatra. Throughout the 2000s, the project was further developed, withLeonardo DiCaprio eventually landing the role of the singer in 2009, replacing Travolta.Johnny Depp[66] andGeorge Clooney were additionally mentioned as possibilities for the role at this time as well.[67] However, in an interview in 2010, Scorsese stated "my choice isAl Pacino, andRobert De Niro as Dean Martin," after previously hinting that Sinatra might be played by more than one actor.[68][69] He later considered casting an unknown for the Sinatra role.[70] The project fell apart when an agreement could not be reached with the Sinatra estate.[71][72]Phil Alden Robinson was set to write the script,[73] thoughBilly Ray[74] andMichael Chabon were later attached at different stages.[75][76] The 1966Esquire profile "Frank Sinatra Has a Cold" was used as the basis for the story.[77] In 2011,Scott Rudin joined the project as producer.[78] In 2012, Scorsese was said to be considering the possibility of shootingSinatra in3D.[79] In 2017, Scorsese was quoted as saying "I think it is finally over. They won't agree to it. Open it up again and I'm there!"[80] In 2024,Variety reported that Scorsese was returning to the feature and planning to shoot it back-to-back withA Life of Jesus. DiCaprio was still attached to star, withJennifer Lawrence set to portrayAva Gardner.[81][82] Soon after the announcement,Nancy Sinatra reposted a social media disapproval over the casting of both leads.[83][84] By mid-August 2024, the film's November start date was cancelled.[85]Rodrigo Prieto was expected to serve as cinematographer on this version.[86] This iteration was allegedly given the title ofThe Old Blue Eyes, after anickname attributed to Sinatra.[87]
FollowingStanley Kubrick's death in 1999, the film rights toPatrick Süskind's 1981 novelPerfume: The Story of a Murderer became available, and Scorsese was one of several directors interested in attaching himself to a potential adaptation of the story.[88]A version was later produced in 2006, directed byTom Tykwer.
In 2000, Scorsese was on board to directGucci: A House Divided, described as a "sprawling epic tracking four generations of theItalian fashion dynasty" based on the 1987 book of the same title by Gerald McKnight. The project was being developed byMichael Ovitz' Artists Production Group.[89]
In September 2000,Variety reported that Scorsese agreed to directInto the Setting Sun, a film depicting the construction of the transcontinental railroad.[90]
In 2001,Leonardo DiCaprio was attached to a biopic ofAlexander the Great, with Scorsese to direct a screenplay byChristopher McQuarrie andPeter Buchman.[63] DiCaprio later joinedBaz Luhrmann's rival production based on Alexander,[91] though this version never came to fruition either. Ultimately,Oliver Stone'sAlexander, starringColin Farrell, was released in 2004.
In April 2002, it was reported that Scorsese was in negotiations with theDavid Lean Foundation to take on the late director's final film, an unfinished adaptation ofJoseph Conrad's novelNostromo. As of the announcement,Marlon Brando andSean Penn were said to be interested in the project, which had a provisional budget of £30 million.[92][93]
Around 2002,Warner Bros. attempted to sign Scorsese to direct an adaptation ofWinter's Tale initially, but he turned down the job, callingMark Helprin's novel "unfilmable."[5]
In April 2003,DreamWorks Pictures optionedThomas Eidson's Western epicSt. Agnes' Stand for Scorsese to direct. Set in the 1860s, the novel follows anun and a group of children who are rescued from a savage group ofApache Indians.Charles Randolph would have written the script.[94][2]
AuthorDan Simmons revealed at theUniversity Book Store in 2003 that he had sold the movie rights to hisHyperion novel series to a major studio, claiming that Scorsese was interested in directing, withLeonardo DiCaprio as one of the main characters.[95]
In early 2004, Scorsese was developing an adaptation ofGraham Greene'sThe Heart of the Matter as a potential directing vehicle, withDon Macpherson scripting. Scorsese reportedly read Greene's 1948 novel "as a young man and never forgot it." The film was to have been bankrolled throughStudioCanal.[96]
Following their work onThe Aviator in 2004, Scorsese was set to directCate Blanchett in an adaptation of theRussell Banks novelThe Darling. In 2012,Denis Villeneuve was set to direct the feature withJessica Chastain starring.[97]
In January 2005,Robert De Niro spoke of a possible sequel toTaxi Driver, featuring an olderTravis Bickle, and that the project was being discussed between him and Scorsese.[98] In November 2013, De Niro revealed that original writerPaul Schrader had written a first draft, but that both he and Scorsese thought it was not good enough to proceed.[99]
In September 2005, Scorsese was developing a biopic atParamount Pictures based onEdmund Morris' bookThe Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, withLeonardo DiCaprio favored to star in the role of U.S. presidentTheodore Roosevelt.[100] At that time,Nicholas Meyer was attached as writer, and the film was scheduled to begin shooting as early as 2008.[6] In September 2017, the biopicRoosevelt was again revived with Scorsese directing and DiCaprio starring.Scott Bloom was to have written the script for the drama.[101][102]
In the mid-2000s, after reading the novelThe Winter of Frankie Machine byDon Winslow,Robert De Niro expressed interest in starring in a film adaptation. Scorsese considered taking on the project at one point, withParamount Pictures CEOBrad Grey ready to green-light the film.[103]Brian Koppelman andDavid Levien were set to script the project. However, Scorsese and De Niro decided they wanted to adaptI Heard You Paint Houses byCharles Brandt, a book De Niro came across while preparing for his role, into a film instead (which would later becomeThe Irishman).[104]
Scorsese was offered byWarner Bros. to direct a sequel to his filmThe Departed.[6] "What they wanted was a franchise," Scorsese later reflecting. "It wasn't about a moral issue of a person living or dying [...] They wanted the franchise. Which means: I can't work here anymore."[105]
In December 2006, Scorsese sought to develop and possibly direct a film of the historical novelThe Last Duel: A True Story of Crime, Scandal, and Trial by Combat in Medieval France through his four-yearfirst-look deal atParamount Pictures.Ridley Scott would later directthe adaptation, released in 2021.[106][107]
On February 27, 2007, it was reported thatParamount Pictures would be moving forward withThe Long Play, arock 'n roll epic to be directed by Scorsese.[108]William Monahan was set to rewrite the script for the film based on an idea byMick Jagger which follows two friends through 40 years in the music industry, from the early days ofR&B to contemporaryhip-hop. BothRich Cohen and Matthew Weiss did exhaustive research for the project and wrote several drafts.[109]
StarMark Wahlberg offered Scorsese the script forThe Fighter, who turned it down, finding the film'sMassachusetts setting redundant after having finishedThe Departed.[110] Wahlberg later cited Scorsese's ownRaging Bull as an influence forThe Fighter, which would be directed byDavid O. Russell.
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In 2008, Scorsese was set to direct a biopic/documentary on the musicianBob Marley.[111]
In 2008,The Boston Herald claimed that Scorsese had met withJohn Martorano, and had gottenGraham King to secure the rights to his life story, withWilliam Monahan writing a script.[112]
According toPaul Schrader, around 2009, he and Scorsese developed a crime series atHBO calledTokyo Underworld, set inpost-warTokyo.[113]
Circa 2009, Scorsese was listed in connection to an American remake of the 2005 Michael Haneke film Caché.https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0967926/https://shanemeadows.proboards.com/thread/3440
In June 2011,Paramount Pictures was finalizing a deal to develop a film as a directing vehicle for Scorsese about the Hollywood romance between actorsElizabeth Taylor andRichard Burton, based on the bookFurious Love, by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger. The film was to have been produced byJulie Yorn, Gary Foster and Russ Krasnoff of Krasnoff Foster Productions, and Scorsese throughSikelia.[114]
In August 2011, Scorsese had been set up to directLeonardo DiCaprio inThe Gambler, a remake of the1974 film, itself loosely adapted from theshort novel byFyodor Dostoevsky.William Monahan, who had written Scorsese'sThe Departed which also starred DiCaprio, was set to write the adaptation forParamount Pictures.[115] Scorsese and DiCaprio both left the project the following year, though Monahan's draft remained in the finished product.
In November 2011, Scorsese was set to directThe Snowman, with a script byMatthew Michael Carnahan. He later dropped out of the project.[116]
In 2012, Scorsese announced he was making a documentary on ex-U.S. presidentBill Clinton. The film was partially shot, but was shelved at the beginning of 2015 when Clinton was said to have asked for too much creative control over how he was portrayed. Scorsese has said the film could still be made someday.[117]
In 2013, a potential TV series based on Scorsese's filmGangs of New York was reported to be in the works fromMiramax Television andGK Films. The series would have drawn from the events of the 2002 film and chronicle the birth oforganized crime in America, taking place inNew York,Chicago andNew Orleans at the turn of the 20th century.[118] In 2022, Scorsese was set to executive produce and direct the first two episodes of the series after reading Brett C. Leonard's script, which was then reported to be a new take on the story that features different characters entirely.[119]
In a 2014 essay forVice, actorJames Franco addressed that Scorsese had tried in vain, and failed to adapt theCormac McCarthy novelBlood Meridian into a feature film.[120]
On August 25, 2014, Scorsese was set to direct atelevision pilot for the seriesAshecliffe, from a script byDennis Lehane. It would have been a spinoff ofShutter Island taking place on the eponymous prison.[121]
On August 28, 2014, Scorsese announced he'd direct a biopic about thepunk rock band theRamones.[122]
In November 2014, Scorsese was reported to be directing a television series forHBO based on the life ofHernán Cortés, which would have been written byChris Gerolmo, and executive produced by Scorsese, Gerolmo, andBenicio del Toro, who was interested in starring.[123]
In December 2014, Scorsese was reported to be in talks to direct Angelina Jolie's long-in-development Cleopatra film. Roles were floated for Daniel Day-Lewis and Leonardo DiCaprio.https://geektyrant.com/news/martin-scorsese-in-talks-to-direct-angelina-jolies-cleopatra
On March 13, 2015,Jamie Foxx announced that Scorsese would direct him in aMike Tyson biopic, with a script byTerence Winter.[124] Scorsese's version was still being worked on as of 2017,[125] but was later redeveloped into a miniseries forAntoine Fuqua to direct.[126]
On March 20, 2015, actor/directorKenneth Branagh toldKermode and Mayo's Film Review that his acclaimed 2013 stage production ofShakespeare'sMacbeth was in the process of being made into a Scorsese-directed film version.[127] The following month, in May, it was reported that Scorsese hoped to film a documentary about Branagh's production by reuniting the original cast and filming performances over the course of a few weeks inLeavesden.[128][129]
In August 2015, Scorsese signed on to direct an adaptation ofThe Devil in the White City forParamount Pictures, withBilly Ray to write the script andLeonardo DiCaprio set to star asH. H. Holmes.[130] It was later redeveloped as a miniseries for the streamerHulu, starringKeanu Reeves, to be executive produced by Scorsese and DiCaprio, written by Sam Shaw, and directed byTodd Field. As of 2023, it was no longer being developed at Hulu, and was being shopped to other streamers.[131] In 2025, the project was revived back into a film at20th Century Studios, with Scorsese and DiCaprio entering negotiations as director and star, respectively.[132]
In October 2015, Scorsese was attached as the initial director of theLeonard Bernstein biopicMaestro, which was set up atParamount Pictures.[133] He stepped down to work onThe Irishman, allowingBradley Cooper to join the film in May 2018 as director and to star as Bernstein. Scorsese produced the film alongsideSteven Spielberg.[134]
In 2016, Scorsese was reported to be in talks to direct a biopic ofGeorge Washington, from a script by Bill Collage and Adam Cooper.[135]
In early 2017,Lorene Scafaria's screenplay forHustlers and a sizzle reel were sent to Scorsese andAdam McKay, the latter remained as a producer with interest of directing. Both passed and Scarfaria eventually directed the film herself.[136]
In February 2018, it was reported thatMichael Hirst would collaborate with Scorsese for a television drama series which would tell the story of the early rulers ofancient Rome, starting with the rise to power ofJulius Caesar. TitledThe Caesars, apilot episode had been written, with an outline for the rest of the season. Filming was expected to commence the following year in Italy.[137]
In April 2021,Paul Schrader revealed in an interview forThe New Yorker that he and Scorsese were at that time planning a three-year series about the origins ofChristianity, to be titledThe Apostles and Apocrypha.[138]
In November 2021, Scorsese was set to direct and produce a biopic feature about rock band theGrateful Dead forApple Studios featuringJonah Hill asJerry Garcia.Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski were reported to be collaborating on the script for the biopic with Rick Yorn.[139][140]
In 2022, it was announced Scorsese would direct an adaptation ofDavid Grann's non-fiction novelThe Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder forApple Studios, reteaming once again withLeonardo DiCaprio.[141] This would have been the pair's next film followingKillers of the Flower Moon. In 2023, Scorsese expressed hesitancy about the conditions of shooting on the water, which, according to him, might necessitate a co-director.[142]
In May 2023, after meeting withPope Francis, Scorsese said he was inspired to write and direct a new film aboutJesus.[143] Later that year, in September, Scorsese elaborated that it would feature staged scenes and not follow a straight narrative structure. He also said that he himself would appear in the film.[144] Speaking in an interview with theLos Angeles Times in 2024, Scorsese reaffirmed his intention to make the film after having completed the screenplay with critic and filmmakerKent Jones, which they based onShūsaku Endō's bookA Life of Jesus. He envisioned it having a runtime of 80 minutes[145] with a "partially modern day, partially ancient" setting, and planned to begin shooting in late April.[146] By April,Andrew Garfield andMiles Teller were eyed to join the film in undisclosed roles, with the start date for production then moved to later that year in Israel, Egypt and Italy.[81] However, in September it was reported that these plans had been cancelled.[85]
In September 2023, Scorsese made it known that he had several more film projects he wanted to make, among them an adaptation ofMarilynne Robinson'sHome.[144] He first began working on the script with filmmakerTodd Field, and later Kent Jones, prior to theWGA strike.[147] On November 14, 2024,Home was still "a very strong possibility" to be Scorsese's next film, but was being held up by a scheduling issue.[148] In March 2025,Publishers Weekly confirmed thatApple Original Films was developing the film withLeonardo DiCaprio attached to star, as well as Field's involvement as co-writer/producer of the film.[149] It was indicated that DiCaprio stepped down from starring inDamien Chazelle's planned biopicEvel Knievel on Tour in 2025, and prioritized a Scorsese collaboration due to the director's old age.[150]
In August 2024, at a Q&A event Scorsese mentioned he was considering developing alimited-run series as one of his next projects, and that he wanted to direct it straight through unlike theHBO showsBoardwalk Empire andVinyl in which he only helmed thepilot episodes.[151]
In February 2025, it was announced that Scorsese would direct and co-produce acrime drama film based on an untold true story, described as being in the same vein asThe Departed andGoodfellas, which would starDwayne Johnson,Leonardo DiCaprio andEmily Blunt. Johnson and Blunt brought the story to Scorsese, which is set in 1960s and '70sHawaii and follows an aspiringmob boss who fights rival crime factions for control of the underworld of the Hawaiian islands. Journalist and documentary filmmakerNick Bilton was hired to write the screenplay.[152] The following month,Walt Disney Studios, under its20th Century Studios division, acquired rights to the film.[153]
In May 2025, a finished script tentatively titledMidnight Vendetta was submitted byEric Roth, withMartin Scorsese andLeonardo DiCaprio said to be respectively attached as director and star. The project was to tackle theMafia's arrival inNew Orleans in 1890.[154]
Adaptation ofStacy Schiff novelCleopatra: A Life was in development for years with a lot of high profile directors attached. In December 2014Martin Scorsese was attached to direct a Cleopatra biopic withAngelina Jolie asCleopatra andLeonardo DiCaprio andDaniel Day-Lewis starring alongside Jolie. but the project was never made.[155] In Early 2026, it was rumored thatMartin Scorsese is secretly developing a Cleopatra biopic with a screenplay byEric Roth andLaeta Kalogridis through his production companySikelia Productions. it's still unclear whether ifAngelina Jolie is involved as actor or producer. every detail about the story or the production is under the wraps.[citation needed]
In the early 1990s, Scorsese was going to collaborate withFederico Fellini on a potential documentary about film production. The project was set up atUniversal, with Scorsese set to executive produce, however it was never made following Fellini's death in 1993. "He had a series of scripts on how a production is made," Scorsese recalled of their project in 2018. "One, you have the production itself. Then you have the actor, then you have the cinematographer. He was going to make a Fellini film on each one."[156][157]
Also in the early 1990s, Scorsese andJonathan Demme were involved to co-produce what would have beenSamuel Fuller's final directorial project, entitledThe Chair vs. Ruth Snyder, the story of thefirst woman executed in theUnited States.[158]
In 1993, actressMargot Kidder was set to make her directorial debut with the filmCool Heaven for producerMichael Nolin, with Scorsese reportedly "godfathering" the project.[159]
In 1994, a remake of the 1946 filmBedlam was in development with Scorsese attached as a producer.[160]
In 1995, it was reported that Scorsese would produce an American remake written and directed byBo Goldman ofIngmar Bergman'sWild Strawberries, withGregory Peck starring.[161]
In January 1996, Scorsese and his ex-wifeBarbara De Fina explored working on a biopic onWatergate scandal whistleblowerMartha Mitchell, written by and starringDiane Ladd.[162]
In August 1996, a film adaptation ofJonathan Larson's musicalRent was in development with Scorsese set as a producer.[163]
In 1997, it was indicated by theLA Times that Scorsese would executive produce thegothic horror filmMephisto's Bridge, set to be directed byGuillermo del Toro throughPhoenix Pictures. The story reportedly follows "a gifted billboard designer, the girl he desires and his dark pact with a supernatural being."[164]
Scorsese was going to produce a teaming ofLeonardo DiCaprio andShah Rukh Khan for a gangster film calledXtreme City, which was going to be directed byPaul Schrader. At theBerlin Film Festival in 2011, he and Schrader met with the two actors, though Khan was allegedly hesitant about starring in a Hollywood English-speaking film, so he declined.[165]
In 2012, Scorsese announced that he would produceSilver Ghost, a film that explored the origin ofRolls-Royce cars.[166]
In 2012, Scorsese was reported as being attached to60 Seconds of Us, a film byBahman Ghobadi set in New York.[167]
It was reported in the 2010s that Scorsese was to produceJoker withLeonardo DiCaprio playing thetitular character. He later left the project to focus onThe Irishman.[168][169]
In 2016, Scorsese was reported as attached to a biopic based on the life of classical pianistByron Janis.[170]
Rodrigo Prieto, the cinematographer forSilence, intended for his directorial debut to beBastard. The script was written by Bill Gullo and Scorsese was an executive producer. Filming was meant to start in the first quarter of 2018.[171]
On November 21, 2019, it was announced thatBen Affleck would direct a film adaptation ofAdam Hochschild's 1998 bookKing Leopold's Ghost, about the plundering andatrocities committed in theCongo Free State under KingLeopold II of Belgium, withFarhad Safinia writing the screenplay. Scorsese andEmma Tillinger Koskoff were set to produce the film through Sikelia Productions alongside Affleck'sPearl Street Films andHarry Belafonte andGina Belafonte.[172]
In 2021, Scorsese was announced to produceFascinating Rhythm, a musical drama inspired by the works ofGeorge Gershwin.[173]
In January 2024, Scorsese was set to executive produce a film adaptation ofYōko Ogawa's novelThe Memory Police.[174]
In 2025,Deadline reported that Scorsese was attached as producer of the survival taleWall of White.[175]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}:|first1= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)So, I just finished a script about the mafia coming to New Orleans in 1890, I'm doing it for Marty [...] I'm interested in vengeance and what it means. This thing I'm writing for Marty right now is about what we were brought up to be we end up being in a way. These people were brought up in 1860-1870 Sicily. They were part of this mafia, and they continued on [...] I have this scene where our hero — I'm not sure if he's actually heroic — but anyway the lead of our film wants vengeance on the rival Don, and he comes sneaking into an Opera, while the Opera is going, and slits the throat of his enemy.
