Real Reason Why Martin Scorsese Did Not Get Attached To 'Joker'

Martin Scorsese has been a part of the movie industry for more than four decades and has seen many ups and downs. And now, he has revealed why he stepped back from being a part of Todd Phillips’ “Joker.”

In a discussion with the Hollywood Reporter, the 77-year-old filmmaker cited personal reasons for exiting the blockbuster movie. But later in the interview, he accepted that the criticisms he faced while making films like “King Of Comedy,” “Taxi Driver” and “Last Temptation Of Christ” made him take his extreme decision.

When asked why he backed out of the project, the “Irishman” director noted that the movie had a striking resemblance to the movie “King Of Comedy” and he has fought a lot of battle for that movie. He further added that he and his partners were “attacked” by everyone when the movie came out.

“We went and did ‘King OF Comedy’ and we were attacked for that and the film was considered the flop of the year at Entertainment Tonight. [But by then] the whole of Hollywood had turned against that kind of filmmaking,” Scorsese said.

The other directors present in the discussion – Phillips, Greta Gerwig, Noah Baumbach, Fernando Meirelles and Lulu Wang – were stunned after hearing that the movie bombed at the box office and got so many negative reviews at the time of its release.

The Academy Award-winning filmmaker also told the publication that he faced a lot of death threats while making “Last Temptation Of Christ” and how he thought of leaving the business when the movie was canceled just six weeks before shooting.

“I tried to do ‘Last Temptation Of Christ’ and six weeks before shooting started, it was canceled. At which point, I said, ‘I think I should leave [the business],” Scorsese said.

In related news, “The Irishman” is turning out to be a massive success for the filmmaker. The film was recently regarded as one of the top 10 movies of the year by the American Film Institute (AFI). Meanwhile, it was named Best Picture of 2019 by the National Board Of Review (NBR), San Diego Film Critics Society, and New York Film Critics Circle (NYFCC).

“The Irishman,” starring Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, and Joe Pesci in pivotal roles, is nominated for 14 awards at the Critics’ Choice Awards, including a Best Director nod for Scorsese. On the other hand, it got four noms at the Golden Globes.

Meanwhile, the esteemed filmmaker recently admitted that the latest crime drama might be his “last” one because there is no room for movies like “The Irishman” or Gerwig’s “Lady Bird” in theaters today because of all the “superhero” stuff.