Martin Scorsese could be reuniting with Andrew Garfield on his upcoming Jesus film.
According to Variety, the director is considering Garfield for a role in his adaptation of Shūsaku Endō’s A Life of Jesus. It’s unclear whether Garfield would play Jesus himself, one of his disciples or a different character entirely.
The last time Garfield and Scorsese teamed up for an Endō adaptation was in 2016 for Silence. Garfield said he prepared for the role of a Jesuit priest by studying the Bible and meeting with priests to understand the life of Christ.
“What was really easy was falling in love with this person, was falling in love with Jesus Christ,” Garfield said. “That was the most surprising thing … That was the most remarkable thing—falling in love, and how easy it was to fall in love with Jesus.”
Sounds like he’s prepped and ready for whatever role Scorsese has for him. The director also said Miles Teller is in the running for the titular role. We should know who wins out soon, as production is scheduled to begin later this year.
Of course, that’s assuming Scorsese has figured out how to bring Jesus’ story to the big screen at all. Back in February, he said he was still figuring out some major details.
“I’m contemplating it right now,” the director said at the Berlin Film Festival. “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 also shared that he wants to focus on Jesus’ core teachings in a way that “explores the principles but doesn’t proselytize.”
“I’m trying to find a new way to make it more accessible and take away the negative onus of what has been associated with organized religion,” Scorsese said.
