Martin Scorsese Defends Taking 22 Years and Counting to Direct 'Silence'

In response to a lawsuit over his decision to direct "Wolf of Wall Street," the famed director's lawyers say that Cecchi Gori has "manufactured specious claims" instead of being satisfied with the $3.5 million he's given the film company to do "nothing other than waiting."

If Martin Scorsese ever directs Silence, based on an award-winning Japanese novel by Shusaku Endo about the persecution of a Jesuit missionary in 17th Century Japan, it will happen after an almost epic amount of litigation and dealmaking.

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In reaction, Scorsese's reps called the lawsuit "shocking" and the claims "absurd," but Scorsese's lawyers have now filed court papers that confirm much of the complicated back story with some additional information. In the last two decades, there's been two prior lawsuits and five deal amendments over this film. Scorsese says he has already given the plaintiffs $3.5 million to wait on Silence.

So why has it taken 22 years and counting for Scorsese to direct Silence?

The director confirms that in 1990, he entered into a written agreement to provide his services on the film. In 1998, there was an amendment to the agreement where Scorsese agreed it would be his third picture after Kundin.

Scorsese then directed Bringing out the Dead in 1999. He directed Gangs of New York in 2002, The Aviator in 2004, The Departed in 2006, Shutter Island in 2010 and Hugo in 2011.

Scorsese says he was finally preparing to make Silence in 2007 only to see Nunnari sue Cecchi Gori claiming film rights to the novel. Scorsese says that although he wasn't directly a party to the lawsuit, "as a result of the claims alleged in that lawsuit, there was a cloud on the title to the Picture and Defendants were prevented from producing and directing the Picture" until the rights issue was resolved.

But Scorsese now says those allegations are "contrary to the plain language of the 2011 Agreement which states that Scorsese was still attempting to procure financing at the time the  2011 Agreement was executed, and that the commencement of production in 2012 was contingent on such financing being made available."

In other words, Scorsese says that without the money lined up, he wasn't contractually obligated to finally get started on Silence.

And if he's wrong? Scorsese has already paid $3.5 million to hold off on Silence so he could first direct The Departed and Shutter Island. According to Cecchi Gori, Scorsese owes an additional $1.5 million, the value of a producer's fee, and 20 percent of his back-end participation on Hugo. And now, Cecchi Gori wants damages for Scorsese's decision to put Wolf of Wall Street ahead in the pecking order. Potentially, that's a lot to pay to stay Silence all these years.

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