Martin Scorsese Has “No Intention Of Retiring” After ‘Sinatra’ & ‘The Life of Jesus’

Nearly 60 years after his directorial debut, Martin Scorsese still has a few more films left in him.

The Oscar-winning director recently shut down speculation that he’s planning to retire from his storied behind-the-scenes career as he was honored Monday at the National Museum of Cinema in Turin, Italy.

“I have no intention of retiring,” said Scorsese, according to World of Reel. “The film about Frank Sinatra is only postponed while the one about Jesus I am working on. I hope God gives me the strength and money to finish them.”

While meeting Pope Francis at the Vatican last May, Scorsese revealed he was inspired to make “a film about Jesus.” He gave an update on the project at the Berlin Film Festival in February.

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“I’m contemplating it right now,” said Scorsese. “What kind of film I’m not quite sure, but I want to make something unique and different that could be thought-provoking and I hope also entertaining. I’m not quite sure yet how to go about it.”

He added, “Maybe I’ll get some sleep and then wake up and I’ll have this fresh idea of how to do it. The possibilities of making a film, the concept of Jesus, the idea of Jesus really stems from my background growing up in the Lower East Side, my interest in Catholicism, in the priesthood, which really led, I think, ultimately to the film Silence.”

Meanwhile, Scorsese has planned to direct Sinatra, a biopic about the singer-actor, since the life and music rights were first acquired from Frank Sinatra Enterprises 15 years ago.