Martin Scorsese Addresses Retirement Rumors Amid Film Postponements

Martin Scorsese is addressing speculation that he might finally be throwing in the towel after a six-plus decades-spanning career. Thankfully, the legendary filmmaker is assuring fans that rumors of his retirement have been greatly exaggerated.

The 81-year-old made the remarks on Monday night in Turin, Italy, where he was being honored with the Museum of Cinema’s prestigious Stella della Mole award. Some of the attendees on hand included Willem Dafoe, Italian director Giuseppe Tornatore, and production designer Dante Ferretti.

"I’m not saying goodbye to cinema at all," Scorsese said during a press conference at the event, according to The Hollywood Reporter. "I still have more films to make, and I hope God gives me the strength to make them."

His remarks come as two projects he was anticipated to film back-to-back this year were recently postponed. The first, The Life of Jesus, a biblical epic based on the 1973 Shūsaku Endō novel, is still in development with no cast attached, Variety reported last month. However, the second film, a Frank Sinatra biopic that had been set to begin production in November, has been canceled with no rescheduled date.

The latter film, which had already generated plenty of buzz, was rumored to star frequent Scorsese collaborator Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence, and would delve into the singer's tumultuous marriage to actress Ava Gardner.

During Monday's ceremony, Scorsese also spoke about his current project, a documentary set in Italy that focuses on underwater archaeologists who use DNA analysis on items recovered from ancient shipwreck sites to piece together stories about ships and sailors.

"I’m filming between Ustica and Taormina. It’s a documentary about marine archaeology,” Scorsese revealed. "I saw an amphora [an ancient Greek or Roman jar] pulled from the sea, and it moved me deeply."