Martin Scorsese’s got to be juicing. Or implementing a strict fitness regimen followed by bathing in the tears of virgins. This wiseguy is showing no signs of reducing his already prolific output, as it’s been pretty much confirmed that he’ll be tackling Silence as his next film, and after that, it looks like it could be the long-gestating mobster-epic The Irishman.
Development has slowed to an almost glacial pace – but don’t be fooled. That’s just the way it works sometimes, folks. This weekend at the Toronto International Film Festival, Al Pacino, who’s long-since been attached to co-star, revealed that it’s still pushing forward. Based on a script by Steve Zaillian, Pacino will join Robert De Niro, Harvey Keitel, Joe Pesci and as he revealed to The Daily Beast, Bobby Cannavale. Seems like Pacino was excited to talk about his working with Scorsese, but more importantly, another collaboration with De Niro:
“Oh, I love Bobby. I love him. Getting the opportunity to work with him, especially on something that is with one of the greatest directors ever.”
The movie will be based on the book I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt. It’s a real-life telling of legendary Irish gangster, Frank “The Irishman” Sheeran. Notorious back in the day for his extensive body count, he’s rumoured to have been involved in the murder of Jimmy Hoffa.
With such a mind-blowing cast, it’d be good to know exactly when Scorsese plans to roll out a filming schedule. He’s recently completed the The New York Review Of Books documentary, The 50 Year Argument, and in a related interview, his long-time producer Thelma Schoonmaker stated that the auteur is keen to branch out, and not continue making “Goodfellas over and over and over again.”
With no production or release date, it looks like we won’t be seeing The Irishman for a good few years. But man, does it sound killer.
