10 Martin Scorsese Projects That Never Got Made

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• Scorsese’s unrealized projects reveal a stacked alternative film history that could have changed his career trajectory.
• Scorsese’s failed attempts at projects like Blade Runner and The Godfather Part II show the potential impact on his filmography.
• Scorsese’s collaboration with other actors like De Niro and DiCaprio could have been affected by his unrealized projects.

Martin Scorsese has made countless classic films in his more than 50 years as a filmmaker, including legendary movies like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull, Oscar winners such as The Departed, and fan-favorites including Goodfellas and The Wolf of Wall Street. With the release of his latest acclaimed movie, Killers of the Flower Moon, he added another masterful work to his incredible filmography. However, that movie was delayed several times due to finance issues and Covid-19, and at one point there were fears that it would not be made at all. But for every movie Scorsese has released, it seems there is another that did not make it into production.

The list of unrealized Scorsese projects is a stacked alternative film history of what could have been that includes everything from a New Yorker Jesus movie, his take on Blade Runner, and even Martin’s own Godfather flick. It’s fun to imagine what could have been and think how these movies would have changed the course of his career, but it is also important to keep in mind the butterfly effect and remember that to tamper with such an impressive filmography as Scorsese’s could erase some of his finest achievements or the epic collaborations as he’s had with actors including Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio.

10 Untitled Jesus in New York movie

A black and white movie set in contemporary times

Back in the early 1960s when Scorsese was still trying to get his first movie made, he toyed with the idea of a black and white film based on the gospel, but instead of being set in biblical times, it would take place on the Lower East Side with the crucifixion occurring on the West Side docks (via Commonweal.) Scorsese later said that he abandoned the project after seeing the 1964 movie The Gospel According to St. Matthew, however, he would continue to explore faith and religion in later movies like The Last Temptation of Christ, Silence, and his recently announced upcoming film reportedly about Jesus.

9 Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?

Scorsese failed to secure the rights to the book

While the most famous adaptation of this Philip K. Dick novel is Ridley Scott’s legendary 1982 film Blade Runner, things could have panned out very differently had Martin Scorsese had his way. In 1969, Martin and screenwriter Jay Cocks approached the writer about putting their own spin on the iconic book. Reportedly, Scorsese’s unreleased Blade Runner script was very different from the later Scott version, but, as he failed to secure the optioning rights to the book, it has to remain a mystery. Following this, Scorsese’s focus would shift away from sci-fi, and he would turn his attention to the genres he is most famous for today: Crime and gangster movies.

8 The Godfather Part II

Francis Ford Coppola wanted Marty for the job

Speaking of gangsters, fans may be surprised to learn that Francis Ford Coppola met with Scorsese to see if he would be interested in directing the sequel to his hugely successful 1972 movie The Godfather. Coppola was impressed with Scorsese’s talent and campaigned for him to get the job; however, Paramount Pictures would not agree to allow anyone except Coppola to man the sequel. Scorsese later said he didn’t believe he was the right person for the movie, stating: “I would’ve made something interesting, but his [Coppola’s] maturity was already there. I still had this kind of edgy thing, the wild kid running around.” (via Deadline)

7 Notes from the Underground

An adaptation of the Russian novella

Fyodor Dostoevsky’s novella Notes from the Underground is one of many books by the renowned Russian novelist Scorsese has considered adapting. However, Scorsese gave up the idea after being offered the Paul Schrader screenplay for Taxi Driver that deals with similar themes of alienation, loneliness, disillusionment and even has a similar narrative style. In fact, the two projects are so alike that upon the release of Taxi Driver in 1976, film critic Pauline Kael described it as “a raw, tabloid version of Notes from the Underground.” (via The New Yorker)

6 Scarface

Robert De Niro was almost Tony Montana

Today, Scarface is associated with Al Pacino’s excellent 1983 performance, but, around the same time, Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro were making moves to produce their own remake of the 1932 crime film, with De Niro playing the titular character Tony Montana (via Far Out.) The story goes that when Pacino was considering taking up the role, he called his friend De Niro to ask for advice, and Robert encouraged him to make the movie with director Brian De Palma, stating if De Palm did not make it, he would do it with Scorsese.

5 Schindler’s List

Steven Spielberg didn’t feel mature enough for the film

In 1988, Steven Spielberg thought he was not mature enough as a filmmaker to do justice to the epic WWII movie Schindler’s List he had been developing with screenwriter Steven Zaillian. Believing it would be better if this story was told by somebody Jewish, he offered the job to Scorsese. However, following the negative reception to his controversial film The Last Temptation of Christ, Scorsese backed out of the project and Spielberg decided to act as director after all. Scorsese and Spielberg would instead decide to trade movies and Scorsese would then direct the 1991 film Cape Fear, which Spielberg had been developing at the time.

4 An Alexander the Great Biopic

Just one of many unrealized Scorsese biopics

Just one in a long list of biopics that Scorsese would consider making, this movie would have starred Leonardo DiCaprio as Alexander the Great with a screenplay by The Usual Suspects writer Christopher McQuarrie and Jurassic Park III screenwriter Peter Buchman (via EW.) The project, unfortunately, never got off the ground and DiCaprio then moved to a rival Baz Luhrmann production based on the Greek king. However, it seems DiCaprio could never quite catch a break as this film, too, was called off after Oliver Stone’s 2004 movie Alexander, starring Colin Farrell, was released.

3 Sinatra

John Travola was cast as Frank Sinatra

Another long festering biopic is a Scorsese movie telling the life story of rat pack crooner Frank Sinatra. Planned throughout much of the 2000s, this film originally cast John Travolta in the lead role before plans were made to have Leonardo DiCaprio play the lead (via Far Out.) However, rumor has it that Scorsese wished to explore the singer’s alleged associations with the mob, and Sinatra’s estate refused to grant him the film rights to the singer’s life story to the acclaimed director.

2 Taxi Driver 2

Featuring an older Travis Bickle

Audiences were shocked to hear in 2005 that Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese had been discussing plans for a potential follow-up to Taxi Driver that featured an older Travis Bickle. In 2011, it was reported that Scorsese and Danish director Lars Von Trier were also considering a remake of Taxi Driver (via Slash Film.) In 2013, De Niro revealed that the film’s original writer Paul Schrader had drafted a script for a sequel, but they felt it was not good enough to move forward with. Today, De Niro says it’s unlikely there will ever be a sequel and viewers are happy to let the legacy of the original Taxi Driver stay intact.

1 Gangs of New York TV Series

Scorsese would have directed the first two episodes

Scorsese’s 2002 epic historical drama Gangs of New York has proved to be a fan favorite in recent years, so much so that in 2022 Miramax Television announced plans to make a TV series based on Gangs of New York. Scorsese was set to executive produce and direct the first two Gangs of New York episodes, much like he did for other shows like Boardwalk Empire and Vinyl. The series planned to tell a new story focusing on different characters than the movie. However, following the announcement of the project, there have been no further developments, and currently its future is unclear.

Sources: Commonweal, Deadline, The New Yorker, Far Out, EW, Far Out, Slash Film