Scorsese Departs on Post-Oscar Project

Tue., Feb. 27, 2007 9:51 AM PST by Gina Serpe

Martin Scorsese has finally found a winning formula—and it seems he plans on sticking with it.

Fresh off his first Oscar win for directing The Departed, Scorsese has reteamed with the gritty gangster flick's Oscar-winning screenwriter William Monahan for the epic rock 'n' roll feature The Long Play.

The endeavor already reeks of credibility: Aside from Scorsese and Monahan jumping on board, Mick Jagger, a man who knows a thing or two about rock 'n' roll, will coproduce the flick through his Jagged Films.

The film will chronicle two friends over their 40-year ride in the music business. The Long Play will also highlight the rise and fall of musical genres along the way, touching on everything from the salad days of R&B to rock and up through contemporary hip-hop.

The movie is based on an idea from the Rolling Stone frontman that was originally earmarked for Disney. The Mouse House passed on the script because it didn't quite jibe with their family-friendly reputation.

The picture has since moved on to Paramount, where Scorsese signed a four-year first-look deal in November. Monahan has signed on to rewrite the screenplay, and while no start date has been set, it will be the next project for both men. The Oscar-winning twosome had reportedly been discussed some kind of sequel to The Departed, though that very tentative plan has now been pushed back.

The movie will not only mark Scorsese's second go-round with Monahan but also his second with Jagger.

Last fall, Scorsese shot a Rolling Stones concert documentary, in the vein of The Last Waltz, in New York City, which Paramount is prepping to release this fall.

In the meantime, Scorsese isn't the only Departed player angling to reteam with Monahan.

Oscar nominee Leonardo DiCaprio has also attached himself to the Monahan-penned flick Confessions of Pain, per the Hollywood Reporter. Like The Departed, Confessions is also based on a Hong Kong thriller.

The original, released last year, centers on two detective friends, one working for the police and one in private practice, who partner up to investigate the murder of the cop's father-in-law. There's no word yet on which lead role DiCaprio will take, though the actor is also set to produce the film through his company, Appian Way.

DiCaprio and Scorsese, meanwhile, are planning on yet another collaboration, The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt, with DiCaprio playing the youthful, prepresidential Roosevelt. The project is in development and no start date has been announced.