The following is a list of unproduced Martin Scorsese projects in roughly chronological order. During his long career, American film director Martin Scorsese has worked on a number of projects which never progressed beyond the pre-production stage under his direction. Some of these productions fell in development hell or were cancelled.[1][2][3][4][5][6]
Scorsese was originally hired to direct The Honeymoon Killers as his second film in 1969, when it was under the working title Dear 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 of Carl 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]
Scorsese also started work on a war film in 1969, and later stated that it "was supposed to end with the opening speech from Patton". Oliver Wood was going to be the cinematographer and it was going to be shot using 16 mm film, except for an erotic flashback using 35 mm film, using the color palette of a 1940s film. He had to wait until after Alice 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]
Francis Ford Coppola first met with Scorsese about directing The Godfather sequel, impressed with his talent and not wanting to do it himself at the time. Despite campaigning to have Scorsese hired, the executives at Paramount 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 direct The Yakuza, though he was not the person that screenwriter Paul Schrader had wanted. Instead, Sydney Pollack was chosen.[18]
Notes from Underground
Scorsese was considering adapting several Fyodor Dostoevsky novels, in particularly Notes from Underground before he was offered Taxi Driver by Paul Schrader. Since the story and themes in Taxi Driver were heavily influenced by Notes from Underground, he didn't feel the need to repeat himself by making a similar film.[2]
In 1978, Scorsese began working on a new script with Jay Cocks titled Night Life, which dealt with "a fraternal rivalry".[22] However, he withdrew from the project as some of the ideas for Night Life were incorporated into Raging Bull and he was hired to direct The King of Comedy.[23]
In Dreams Begin Responsibilities
In the late 1970s, Scorsese and Robert De Niro wanted to make a feature film out of a short story called "In Dreams Begin Responsibilities" by Delmore Schwartz, and had worked on a script briefly before switching gears to Raging Bull. Later, Scorsese toyed with the notion of adapting the story for his short film segment of New York Stories.[24]
After development of Gershwin fell through, Scorsese and Paul Schrader began pursuing concepts for a potential remake of the 1952 film The Bad and the Beautiful, with Robert De Niro starring in the Kirk 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]
Night and the City remake
In 1985, novelist Richard Price wrote a script for Scorsese based on the 1950 film noirNight and the City, which fellow filmmaker Bertrand 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 do The Color of Money, using Price as the writer.[35]
LaBrava
Though Dustin Hoffman was hesitant to star in the role, he had suggested Scorsese to direct an adaptation of Elmore Leonard's novel LaBrava for producer Walter 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 independent Cannon Films, after being rejected by Fox, Disney and Geffen. 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.[36]
In the late 1970s, actor Al Pacino commissioned Richard Price to write a screenplay based on Modigliani: A Play in Three Acts, about the tragic life of 20th-century painter Amedeo 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, telling Empire 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."[37] Pacino and Scorsese shopped the project around studios, but faced constant rejection.[13][38]
In 1988, Steven Spielberg offered Scorsese the opportunity to direct Schindler's List, believing that he wasn't mature enough as a filmmaker to tackle the story.[41] Scorsese developed it with screenwriter Steven Zaillian, but felt that Spielberg would be better to tell the story, as he was Jewish.[17] Spielberg similarly wanted to work on the film again, so he arranged for Scorsese to direct Cape Fear, which he had been developing, while Spielberg would return to Schindler's List.[42][43]
Robbie Robertson and Friends documentary
In 1989, musician Robbie Robertson and Scorsese announced they were planning a sequel of sorts to The Last Waltz called Robbie Robertson and Friends. The project was initially going to be televised concert in collaboration with Peter Gabriel and U2, who were both unavailable at the time. Instead, Robertson expanded it into a theatrical film, explaining that it would be "a combination of The Red Shoes and All That Jazz, only dealing with music instead of dance."[5]
1990s
Love in Vain
In 1990, Scorsese signed on to direct a screenplay for Warner Bros. based on Alan Greenberg's biography Love in Vain, about the life of blues musician Robert Johnson. The film never came to fruition because it would have taken years to make.[44][45]
Theodora
Around 1990, following the critical and commercial success of Goodfellas, Scorsese pursued a film epic about Theodora's relationship with emperor Justinian I, and the founding of the Byzantine Empire.[5] Novelist Gore Vidal was set up at Universal Pictures to write the script for Theodora, 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 without Ben-Hur prices."[46]
Dirty Boulevard
Sometime in the early 1990s, Scorsese attempted to make a film based on the Lou Reed song "Dirty Blvd.", from his 1989 album New York. Playwright Reinaldo Povod wrote the screenplay, and had died shortly after its completion.[24]
Dino
In 1992, Scorsese acquired the film adaptation rights to Nick Tosches's biography about Dean Martin titled Dino.[47] Scorsese had Tom Hanks in mind to portray Martin.[48] The screenplay was written by Nicholas Pileggi.[49][50] Scorsese also worked with on another script with Irwin Winkler and Paul Schrader about Martin's life during his "swinging Ocean's 11 days", before confirming in 2004 that he had given up on the project altogether.[51][52]
In September 1993, it was reported that Scorsese had committed to directing star/producer Warren Beatty's long-in-development film Ocean 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 by Tony Bill and Ben Young Mason, with subsequent multiple revisions.[56]
The film version of Richard Price's novel Clockers originally entered production with Scorsese attached to direct, having previously collaborated with author Price on his 1986 film The Color of Money. Scorsese eventually dropped out of production to focus on his passion project Casino, at which point Spike Lee stepped in to direct and rewrite the script. Scorsese remained a co-producer alongside Lee.[57]
In 1999, development began on a decade-spanning project Scorsese was attached to direct, initially with John Travolta and Tom Hanks both lined up to star as Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, respectively. "Marty just can't get the script he wants," Travolta told the Ottawa Sun at the time, "otherwise we're all there."[58] This was originally meant to be a biopic of the Rat Pack group, but ended up morphing into a film solely about Sinatra. Throughout the 2000s, the project was further developed, with Leonardo DiCaprio eventually landing the role of the singer in 2009, replacing Travolta. The project fell apart when an agreement could not be reached with the Sinatra estate.[59]Phil Alden Robinson was set to write the script, though Billy Ray was later attached.[60] In 2024, Variety reported that Scorsese was returning to the feature and planning to shoot it back-to-back with A Life of Jesus. DiCaprio was still attached to star, with Jennifer Lawrence set to portray Ava Gardner.[61][62] Soon after the announcement, Nancy Sinatra reposted a social media disapproval over the casting of both leads.[63][64][65] By mid-August 2024, the film's November start date was cancelled.[66]Rodrigo Prieto was expected to serve as cinematographer on this version.[67]
In 2000, Scorsese was on board to direct Gucci: A House Divided, described as a "sprawling epic tracking four generations of the Italian fashion dynasty" based on the 1987 book of the same title by Gerald McKnight. The project was being developed by Michael Ovitz' Artists Production Group.[69]
In 2002, Warner Bros. attempted to sign Scorsese to direct an adaptation of Winter's Tale initially, but he turned down the job, calling Mark Helprin's novel "unfilmable."[5]
St. Agnes' Stand
In April 2003, DreamWorks Pictures optioned Thomas Eidson's Western epic St. Agnes' Stand for Scorsese to direct. Set in the 1860s, the novel follows a nun and a group of children who are rescued from a savage group of Apache Indians. Charles Randolph would have written the script.[71][2]
Hyperion
Author Dan Simmons revealed at the University Book Store in 2003 that he had sold the movie rights to his Hyperion novel series to a major studio, claiming that Scorsese was interested in directing, with Leonardo DiCaprio as one of the main characters.[72]
The Heart of the Matter
In early 2004, Scorsese was developing an adaptation of Graham Greene's The Heart of the Matter as a potential directing vehicle, with Don Macpherson scripting. Scorsese reportedly read Greene's 1948 novel "as a young man and never forgot it." The film was to have been bankrolled through StudioCanal.[73]
In January 2005, Robert De Niro spoke of a possible sequel to Taxi Driver, featuring an older Travis Bickle, and that the project was being discussed between him and Scorsese.[75] In November 2013, De Niro revealed that original writer Paul Schrader had written a first draft, but that both he and Scorsese thought it was not good enough to proceed.[76]
Scorsese was offered by Warner Bros. to direct a sequel to his film The 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."[79]
On February 27, 2007, it was reported that Paramount Pictures would be moving forward with The Long Play, a rock 'n roll epic to be directed by Scorsese.[84]William Monahan was set to rewrite the script for the film based on an idea by Mick Jagger which follows two friends through 40 years in the music industry, from the early days of R&B to contemporary hip-hop. Both Rich Cohen and Matthew Weiss did exhaustive research for the project and wrote several drafts.[85]
Star Mark Wahlberg offered Scorsese the script for The Fighter, who turned it down, finding the film's Massachusetts setting redundant after having finished The Departed.[86] Wahlberg later cited Scorsese's own Raging Bull as an influence for The Fighter, which would be directed by David O. Russell.
According to Paul Schrader, around 2009, he and Scorsese developed a crime series at HBO called Tokyo Underworld, set in post-warTokyo.[89]
2010s
Furious Love
In June 2011, Paramount Pictures was finalizing a deal to develop a film as a directing vehicle for Scorsese about the Hollywood romance between actors Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, based on the book Furious Love, by Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger. The film was to have been produced by Julie Yorn, Gary Foster and Russ Krasnoff of Krasnoff Foster Productions, and Scorsese through Sikelia.[90]
In 2012, Scorsese announced he was making a documentary on ex-U.S. president Bill 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.[93]
Gangs of New York TV series
In 2013, a potential TV series based on Scorsese's film Gangs of New York was reported to be in the works from Mirimax Television and GK Films. The series would have drawn from the events of the 2002 film and chronicle the birth of organized crime in America, taking place in New York, Chicago and New Orleans at the turn of the 20th century.[94] 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.[95]
On August 25, 2014, Scorsese was set to direct a television pilot for the series Ashecliffe, from a script by Dennis Lehane. It would have been a spinoff of Shutter Island taking place on the eponymous prison.[97]
Untitled Ramones biopic
On August 28, 2014, Scorsese announced he'd direct a biopic about the punk rock band the Ramones.[98]
Cortes TV series
In November 2014, Scorsese was reported to be directing a television series for HBO based on the life of Hernán Cortés, which would have been written by Chris Gerolmo, and executive produced by Scorsese, Gerolmo, and Benicio del Toro, who was interested in starring.[99]
Untitled Mike Tyson biopic
On March 13, 2015, Jamie Foxx announced that Scorsese would direct him in a Mike Tyson biopic, with a script by Terence Winter.[100] Scorsese's version was still being worked on as of 2017,[101] but was later redeveloped into a miniseries for Antoine Fuqua to direct.[102]
Untitled Macbeth documentary
On March 20, 2015, actor/director Kenneth Branagh told Kermode and Mayo's Film Review that his acclaimed 2013 stage production of Shakespeare's Macbeth was in the process of being made into a Scorsese-directed film version.[103] 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 in Leavesden.[104][105]
The Devil in the White City
In August 2015, Scorsese signed on to direct an adaptation of The Devil in the White City, with Billy Ray to write the script and Leonardo DiCaprio set to star as H. H. Holmes.[106] It was later redeveloped as a miniseries for the streamer Hulu, starring Keanu Reeves, to be executive produced by Scorsese and DiCaprio, written by Sam Shaw, and directed by Todd Field. As of 2023, it was no longer being developed at Hulu, and was being shopped to other streamers.[107]
The General
In 2016, Scorsese was reported to be in talks to direct a biopic of George Washington, from a script by Bill Collage and Adam Cooper.[108]
In early 2017, Lorene Scafaria's screenplay for Hustlers and a sizzle reel were sent to Scorsese and Adam McKay with interest of directing. Both passed and Scarfaria eventually directed the film herself.[109]
In February 2018, it was reported that Michael Hirst would collaborate with Scorsese for a television drama series which would tell the story of the early rulers of ancient Rome, starting with the rise to power of Julius Caesar. Titled The Caesars, a pilot episode had been written, with an outline for the rest of the season. Filming was expected to commence the following year in Italy.[111]
2020s
The Apostles and Apocrypha TV miniseries
In April 2021, Paul Schrader revealed in an interview for The New Yorker that he and Scorsese were at that time planning a three-year series about the origins of Christianity, to be titled The Apostles and Apocrypha.[112]
In May 2023, after meeting with Pope Francis, Scorsese said he was inspired to write and direct a new film about Jesus.[116] 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.[117] Speaking in an interview with the Los Angeles Times in 2024, Scorsese reaffirmed his intention to make the film after having completed the screenplay with critic and filmmaker Kent Jones, which they based on Shūsaku Endō's book A Life of Jesus. He envisioned it having a runtime of 80 minutes[118] with a "partially modern day, partially ancient" setting, and planned to begin shooting in late April.[119] By April, Andrew Garfield and Miles 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.[61] However, in September it was reported that these plans had been cancelled.[66]
Home
In September 2023, Scorsese made it known that he had several more film projects he wanted to make, among them an adaptation of Marilynne Robinson's Home.[117] He first began working on the script with filmmaker Todd Field, and later Kent Jones, prior to the WGA strike.[120] By November 2024, the film was "a very strong possibility", but was being held up by a scheduling issue.[121]
Jack
In October 2023, Scorsese reported that he, Todd Field and Kent Jones also intended to adapt Robinson's Jack into a screenplay after the strike ended.[122]
Untitled biographical film
In a November 2024 interview with Associated Press, Scorsese said that "a possibility" of his next film would be a story about his father and mother, and how they grew up, "Stories about immigrants which tied into my trip to Sicily."[121]
Producer only
Untitled Federico Fellini documentary
In the early 1990s, Scorsese was going to collaborate with Federico Fellini on a potential a documentary about film production. The project was set up at Universal, 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."[123][124]
In 1997, it was indicated by the LA Times that Scorsese would executive produce the gothic horror film Mephisto's Bridge, set to be directed by Guillermo del Toro through Phoenix Pictures. The story reportedly follows "a gifted billboard designer, the girl he desires and his dark pact with a supernatural being."[127]
Xtreme City
Scorsese was going to produce a teaming of Leonardo DiCaprio and Shah Rukh Khan for a gangster film called Xtreme City, which was going to be directed by Paul Schrader. At the Berlin 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.[128]
Silver Ghost
In 2012, Scorsese announced that he would produce Silver Ghost, a film that explored the origin of Rolls-Royce cars.[129]
60 Seconds of Us
In 2012, Scorsese was reported as being attached to 60 Seconds of Us, a film by Bahman Ghobadi set in New York.[130]
In 2016, Scorsese was reported as attached to a biopic based on the life of classical pianist Byron Janis.[133]
Bastard
Rodrigo Prieto, the cinematographer for Silence, intended for his directorial debut to be Bastard. The script was written by Bill Gullo and Scorsese was an executive producer. Filming was meant to start in the first quarter of 2018.[134]
In 2021, Scorsese was announced to produce Fascinating Rhythm, a musical drama inspired by the works of George Gershwin.[136]
What Happens at Night
On April 19, 2023, it was announced that Scorsese would produce an adaptation of the Peter Cameron mystery novel What Happens At Night with Studiocanal, with Patrick Marber set to write the screenplay.[137]
^Raymond, Marc (2014). "How Scorsese Became Scorsese". In Baker, Aaron (ed.). A Companion to Martin Scorsese. Malden, Massachusetts: John Wiley and Sons. p. 20. ISBN978-1-444-33861-4.
^Holmes, Emory II (August 28, 1997). "'Working for Your Discomfort': Director's films showcase a taste for the macabre and disdain for conventions". Los Angeles Times.