Martin Scorsese’s dream project Silence is going to happen according to Niels Juul, the CEO of the recently revived Cecchi Gori Pictures.
“It’s been in pre-production for a while,” Juul said. “We don’t know the schedule quite yet, but that’s definitely a signed deal and that would probably be our first feature back in the swing of things.”
Juul is taking a cautious approach to the film given the huge disappointment of Scorsese’s Hugo, the film that utlimately separated Scorsese from his long-time producer Graham King.
King reportedly suffered an $80 million dollar loss on the film.
Silence has not gotten a final price tag, but considering the historical and international setting – and undoubtedly high-profile cast – it’s safe to assume the cost will be high.
The project is important for Scorsese, but probably means more to Juul, because this is his opportunity to revive a film company that was racked with past scandals and legal disputes. The former president’s mishandling of funds added additional tarnishment to the company’s reputation.
The film company reached success with films such as A Bronx Tale and Seven, and Juul wants Scorsese to help reach that success once more. Silence will be the first film done by the new Cecchi Gori Pictures, but it’s going to have to wait a little while longer to get underway. Scorsese is in production for The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio, which is scheduled to begin shooting in August.
Source: The Playlist