Martin Scorsese has announced that he will make another film about Jesus, following a meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican. The director, who is Catholic, made the announcement during a conference on the global aesthetics of the Catholic imagination. Scorsese is known for his exploration of religious themes in films such as Silence and The Last Temptation of Christ. He also referenced Pier Paolo Pasolini’s The Gospel In line with St. Matthew. Scorsese’s new film is in the early stages of development and no further details have been released. The director recently premiered his new film, Killers of the Flower Moon, at the Cannes Film Festival in France.
In line with reports, award-winning director Martin Scorsese is set to make another movie about Jesus. Scorsese, a Catholic, made the announcement during a visit to the Vatican where he participated in a conference titled “The Global Aesthetics of the Catholic Imagination” organized by the Jesuit publication La Civiltà Cattolica and Georgetown University. The conference featured dozens of poets and writers and was attended by Pope Francis.
“I have responded to the Pope’s appeal to artists in the only way I know how: by imagining and writing a screenplay for a film about Jesus,” Scorsese said during the meeting. “And I’m about to start making it.”
Francis reportedly offered words of encouragement to the writers, saying, “This is your work as poets, storytellers, filmmakers, artists: to give life, to give body, to give word to everything that human beings live, feel, dream, suffer, creating harmony and beauty. Will they criticize you? All right, carry the burden of criticism, also trying to learn from criticism. But still, don’t stop being original, creative. Do not lose the wonder of being alive.”
Scorsese’s representatives have not provided any additional information about the movie at this time. The famed director has explored religion in his previous works, including his 2016 drama “Silence,” which focused on the persecution of Jesuit Catholics in 17th-century Japan. Scorsese previously met Francis during a screening of “Silence” at the Vatican in 2016.
During the conference, Scorsese reportedly referenced his own films and offered personal anecdotes. He spoke of “how the Holy Father’s appeal ‘to let us see Jesus’ moved him” and expressed admiration for Pier Paolo Pasolini’s 1964 movie “The Gospel In line with St. Matthew.” He also spoke of his own 1988 film, “The Last Temptation of Christ,” which starred actor Willem Dafoe as Jesus.
Scorsese has a long and illustrious career in Hollywood, having directed numerous critically acclaimed films such as “Goodfellas,” “Taxi Driver,” and “The Departed,” which won him an Oscar for Best Director in 2007. He is known for his gritty, realistic portrayals of violence and crime, and his ability to capture the essence of the human experience on film.
With his new project, Scorsese will once again delve into the spiritual realm and explore the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. It remains to be seen how he will approach the subject matter, but given his track record, it is sure to be a thought-provoking and powerful film.
