Martin Scorsese may have another gangster movie in the works, in collaboration with Oscar-winning writer Eric Roth. Scorsese is a contender for one of the best directors of all time and is known for his epic crime dramas, including but not limited to Taxi Driver, Goodfellas, The Irishman, and Killers of the Flower Moon. Roth won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay back in 1995 for Forrest Gump but has produced acclaimed scripts across several genres, including movies such as The Curious Case of Benjamin ʙuттon, Mank, A Star Is Born, and Dune: Part One.

During an interview with David Perell, Eric Roth revealed that he is working on a script about the mafia in New Orleans in 1890, which he hopes will be directed by Scorsese. According to World of Real, the movie may be тιтled Midnight Vendetta. The main characters appear to be connected to the original Sicilian Mafia, and the story revolves around a revenge plot against a rival. Check out Roth’s comments below:

So, I just finished a script about the mafia coming to New Orleans in 1890, I’m doing it for Marty […] I’m interested in vengeance and what it means. This thing I’m writing for Marty right now is about what we were brought up to be we end up being in a way. These people were brought up in 1860-1870 Sicily. They were part of this mafia, and they continued on […] I have this scene where our hero — I’m not sure if he’s actually heroic — but anyway the lead of our film wants vengeance on the rival Don, and he comes sneaking into an opera, while the opera is going, and slits the throat of his enemy.

What Midnight Vendetta Means For Martin Scorsese’s Upcoming Projects

Scorsese Will Probably Want To Direct, But Will Be Pressed To Fit It Into His Schedule

Another big mobster epic from Martin Scorsese is more than likely to be a huge awards contender and popular among the director’s longtime fans and aficionados of the crime genre. Elements of this screenplay bring to mind The Godfather, concerning the Sicilian Mafia in an earlier time than when the Corleone family is depicted to be active in Francis Ford Coppola’s trilogy. The premise suggests Roth is trying to go back to the roots of the genre in which Scorsese has made his name.

Scorsese will be busy in the coming years, with his frequent collaborator Leonard DiCaprio set to star in the upcoming Devil in the White City, a historical fiction piece about the serial killer HH Holmes. Roth also wrote the screenplay for this movie, as well as Killers of the Flower Moon. Roth and Scorsese’s professional history, as well as Roth’s new script being something that plays right into the director’s wheelhouse, means it is something that he would likely want to work on. However, it made take second priority with his schedule.

Our Take On Eric Roth’s Screenplay For Martin Scorsese

Everyone Will Be Ready For Scorsese’s Take On The Godfather

I think I’d actually rather see this movie than Devil in the White City. The New Orleans setting combined with the origins of the mafia means there is a lot of interesting history behind this idea, and the backdrop of an opera for a revenge mission is perfectly dramatic. I also would love to see Scorsese work with some new actors, and the roles of younger members of this mafia family could go to some up-and-coming stars. Martin Scorsese working on anything new in the crime genre is sure to be spectacular, and his slate for the next few years is bursting.

Source: David Perell, World of Real