Martin Scorsese has begun scouting locations for his upcoming film "Silence."
After a trip to Tokyo promoting his latest work "The Wolf of Wall Street," Scorsese went to Taiwan with Jennifer Jao director of the Taipei Film Commission.
According of the Hollywood Reporter, the director was was pleased with what he saw in Taiwan and has signed on to shoot much of the upcoming film on the island, with a targeted start date in September.
The news source also reported that Scorsese "was visibly intrigued by the bustle and colorful traditions that transform the island during the festivities -- with families packing out local restaurants for celebratory meals and fireworks exploding over Taipei."
It was also reported that Scorsese and his team spent some time viewing the capital but focused most of their scouting in Hualian County in eastern Taiwan.
The upcoming film stars Andrew Garfield ("The Amazing Spider-Man," "The Social Network"), Liam Neeson ("Schindler's List," "The Grey"), Adam Driver ("Girls"), and Ken Wattanbe ("Batman Begins," "The Last Samurai") in the film adaptation of Shusaku Endo's novel about 17th century Jesuits who try to bring Christianity to isolated Japan. The script is written by Jay Cocks who worked on "Gangs of New York," and "The Age of Innocence" and will be financed by Emmett/Furla/Oasis, Corsan and A1.
"Silence" has been a passion project for Scorsese for over two decades. The director recently helmed "The Wolf of Wall Street," which received five Academy Awards including a Best Picture and Best Director nod for Scorsese. The director has also made "Raging Bull," "Taxi Driver," "Goodfellas," "The Departed," "Hugo," "Shutter Island," "Casino," and "The Aviator."