Once you get Martin Scorsese going, the director is more than happy to talk about anything cinematic under the sun. Earlier today, we reported more details on the director’s long gestating Sinatra biopic, but digging through the same interview with ShortList, there were a few more interesting nuggets that we overlooked.
Back in February, Variety casually mentioned that Scorsese’s upcoming children’s film, “Hugo Cabret” was going to be a “3D adaptation.” While many assumed that meant Scorsese was jumping on the latest Hollywood bandwagon, when asked directly by ShortList if he would ever like to make a film in 3D the director answered: “I would like to. I’m very excited by 3D. I was always excited by 3D. I was 10 years old when the first 3D wave occurred in 1953. Why should we be limited? I mean, I’m seeing you and the space is real. Time isn’t real. Time is abstract. Space is real.” He goes on to say that he would ideally only use 3D for “dramatic purposes – not just throwing spears at the audience.” It certainly sounds like the director, who is usually very candid about his projects, isn’t planning on shooting “Hugo Cabret” in 3D or visiting the format any time soon. So we’re going to scratch that rumor for now.
But that’s not all, adding to the growing list of projects on Scorsese’s menu are two more, currently secret projects. ShortList asked the director if he would ever like to get to his roots and shoot a “low-budget, down-and-dirty street movie” and he replied, “Absolutely. I’m dying to. And there are two projects that I have in mind that way.” Ever the tease, Scorsese said he can’t really talk about them right now (probably because they are way too early in the game) but it’s certainly exciting news, especially for those who haven’t warmed to the director’s bigger budgeted work of recent years.
Damn. That’s two more features on top of “Hugo Cabret,” the forthcoming Jesuit priest drama dream project “Silence,” the mob hitman pic “The Irishman” aka “I Heard You Paint Houses” with Robert DeNiro and the still in development Frank Sinatra biopic. And let’s not forget the handful of documentaries in various states of completion that the director also has going on the side. We wish we had a quarter of his energy.