Martin Scorsese new film Silence release date: Director suggests it’ll arrive in time for Oscars

Liam Neeson will play a Jesuit missionary in 17th century Japan

Liam Neeson in ‘Silence’, a film that was a passion project for director Scorsese

The already wide open 2017 Oscar race just got a new major contender, as Martin Scorsese has suggested his new Liam Neeson starrer Silence will be released in time for consideration.

it will be ’golden for an end of year release’ according to Showbiz411, who caught up with the director at a party this week.

“It depends on Paramount,” he told the site, the studio having penciled in the film for November or December.

Liam Neeson, Adam Driver and Andrew Garfield will star, the cast also featuring Tadanobu Asano, Ciarán Hinds, Shinya Tsukamoto, Yōsuke Kubozuka and Issey Ogata.

Silence is a passion project for Scorsese and he’s been trying to make it happen since 1991.

It’s based on a novel of the same name by Japanese author Shūsaku Endō, and centres on a Jesuit missionary sent to 17th century Japan who endures persecution in the time of Kakure Kirishitan ("Hidden Christians") following the defeat of the Shimabara Rebellion (makes mental note to read this before winter).

A few weeks back, Scorsese’s former girlfriend and creative collaborator Illeana Douglas shared a theory as to why Robert De Niro keeps accepting roles in bad films.