Martin Scorsese Locks Funding for ‘Silence’
Martin Scorsese’s historical drama “Silence” has locked down funding, with Fabrica de Cine and SharpSword Films coming on to produce and provide financing.
“Silence” is scheduled to begin principal photography in Taiwan on Jan. 30, with Liam Neeson, Andrew Garfield and Adam Driver starring. The film, based on the novel of the same name by Shusaku Endo, follows 17th century Portuguese Jesuits persecuted during their mission to Japan.
“I’ve wanted to make ‘Silence’ for almost two decades, and it is finally a reality,” Scorsese said. “It is heartening to have adventurous partners like Fabrica and SharpSword to work with on this picture.”
“Silence” is set for a 2016 release.
The companies will be managing the production under joint entity FM Films. Gaston Pavlovich will produce with executive producers Dale Brown, Matthew Malek and Tyler Zacharia. Scorsese and Emma Tillinger Koskoff will also produce with Randall Emmett, Irwin Winkler and Barbara DeFina. George Furla and Chad Verdi will exec produce.
Paramount is handling U.S. distribution. Foreign markets will be distributed by AI Films/IM Global.
Garfield will star as Father Rodrigues, a 17th century Portuguese Jesuit who travels to Japan with a fellow priest amid rumors that Rodrigues’ mentor has abandoned the Church. When they arrive, they find the local Christian population driven underground by religious persecution.
Neeson will play a priest who landed in Japan over a decade earlier and has gone missing.
Paramount released Scorsese’s three most recent films: “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Hugo” and “Shutter Island.” It has not set a release date for “Silence.”
Fabrica de Cine co-produced and co-financed the Tom Hanks drama “A Hologram for a King” and is set to produce Richard Gere’s “Oppenheimer Strategies.” SharpSword Films is backed by Dale Brown and participated in the financing of “The Ticket,” starring Dan Stevens, Malin Akerman and Oliver Platt.
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