GangsOfNewYork Tagged Articles at Cinematical

One of my favorite directors of all time, Martin Scorsese, has been having a very good run lately. After having a little trouble getting films made during the late nineties, the last few years have propelled the director to not only greater creative accolades with films such as Gangs of New York, The Aviator and the exceptional The Departed, but for the first time in his career, significant financial success, as seen with The Departed -- his most successful film ever having earned over $150 million at the box office to date.

Scorsese has directed more than 40 films during his illustrious career and is one of the most honored filmmakers in Hollywood -- having been nominated for six Academy Awards and six Director's Guild awards so far. Even though it appeared, at least according to the man himself, that Scorsese was perhaps tired of big-budget filmmaking in the Hollywood studio system and was going to take a break, it seems now that he has changed his mind and is ready for more work. According to a release this week from Brad Grey, Chairman and CEO of Paramount Pictures (via Coming Soon) the studio has entered into a four-year, first-look deal with Scorsese which will have him directing and producing projects for the studio across all platforms including feature films, DVD and television.

In his statement about the deal, Grey said: "Marty and I have enjoyed great personal success together of late. Now it is our great privilege to welcome Marty to the Paramount Pictures family – a motion picture dream come true." In true Hollywood fashion, Scorsese was quick to acknowledge Grey's statement. "I have had a great personal relationship with Brad Grey for several years now and am looking forward to working with him at Paramount, a studio rich in cinematic history and responsible for making some of my favorite films-'Sunset Boulevard,' 'Shane' and 'The Heiress,' among others," said Scorsese.

In addition to financing projects directly for Scorsese under this deal, Paramount will also have the opportunity to co-finance and co-distribute any project Scorsese may direct for other studios or independent companies. This deal marks the first of its type for the director in many years but I, for one, am thrilled for him. A man with this much talent and skill deserves a home and it makes sense that that home is going to be Paramount -- especially given his relationship with Grey. No matter what projects are eventually born of this deal, it gives me hope for Hollywood in general when a major studio realizes a director like Scorsese needs to be given the resources to to do what he does best -- make movies.