Scorsese Talks About Upcoming Kids Movie Possibly Being in 3D, Other Projects

Scorsese Talks About Upcoming Kids Movie Possibly Being in 3D, Other Projects

By our guest blogger, Tim Strain

The always pleasantly candid Martin Scorsese recently spoke with ShortList.com about his loaded schedule over the next several years as well as his general thoughts on Hollywood today.

His next project will be the adaptation of the Brian Selznick’s bestselling children’s book “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” marking the first time in his illustrious career that he will make a movie geared toward youngsters. In it, an orphan who lives in the walls of a train station in 1930s Paris is wrapped up in a mystery involving his late father and a robot. John Logan (“The Aviator”) wrote the script, and several Scorsese regulars (editor Thelma Schoonmaker, D.P. Robert Richardson, producer Graham King) are set to collaborate with him. There has been little news on the casting front, an interesting dilemma considering the film is set to start shooting in Paris in May.

Variety reported last week that the film will be shot in 3D, a rumor aided by Scorsese’s comments before the Academy Awards that many movies (i.e. “Precious”) could benefit from being fit to the format. Alas, it may be just that--a rumor.

When asked if he would like to work in 3D, he said: "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."

This is not to say that “Hugo” will DEFINITELY not be in Avatarovision, seeing as this will be a big-budget movie aimed at the masses incorporating a lot of special effects. I’m hoping the studios won’t pressure the maestro into adding the effect.

What happens after “Hugo”? Scorsese, let alone the world, may not know until the films are in theaters. When asked why there was an almost 4-year gap between narrative films for "Eyebrows," he said that two of his projects, “Silence” and “The Wolf of Wall Street,” both “fell through,” although they are far from dead. The former is set to star Daniel Day-Lewis, Benicio Del Toro and Gael García Bernal in a story about two Jesuit priests in the 16th century who face violence while attempting to spread Christianity in Japan. The latter may be the next collaboration between Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio and would have the star headlining as the real-life Wall Street exec who refused to cooperate in a large securities fraud case involving corruption on Wall Street, corporate banking world and mob infiltration. “The Rise and Fall of Theodore Roosevelt” may or may not happen as well, and would also star DiCaprio as the president who carried a big stick.

There also is his long-gestating Frank Sinatra biopic (cleverly entitled “Sinatra”), which may or may not feature Johnny Depp Doing It His Way, and which Scorsese describes as a mix between “GoodFellas” and “The Aviator.” Uhh, yes, please. The director has spoken about another collaboration with Robert De Niro about a retired hit man who is forced to come back into the business, formerly called “I Heard You Paint Houses” and now known as “The Irishman.” Oh, he also mentioned that he wants to get back to his roots and shoot “two down-and-dirty” crime films.”

No big deal. Here’s to hoping all of the above takes fruition.