Martin Scorsese’s ‘Silence’ Gets Oscar Season Release Date

Expect to see “Silence” in theaters this December.

Martin Scorsese’s film “Silence” has been touted as one of his passion projects. While it has been on the radar for a few cinephiles, it’s now gaining Oscar buzz with a December 23, 2016 release date. This puts it up against some mainstream releases including Assassin’s Creed and The Passengers.

“The religious epic will debut in limited release on Dec. 23, before expanding in January. There are no films scheduled to debut on that date, but it is a crowded time of year as studios are fielding a number of prestige films and commercial projects, all trying to take advantage of the holidays.”

“Silence” has a solid cast that should appeal to audiences. Liam Neeson (“Taken”), Andrew Garfield (“The Amazing Spider-Man”), and Adam Driver (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) are among the top cast members. The film itself is religious based and set in seventeenth century Japan. Violence and persecution ensues as two Jesuit priests journey to Japan in search of their mentor and promote Christianity. This could be a thought-provoking plot point that makes “Silence” an Oscar contender.

Martin Scorsese himself is no stranger to the Academy Awards, so he should already be on their radar. With films like “The Wolf of Wall Street” and “The Departed” to name a few, Scorsese has been nominated 12 times.

Could “Silence” be another Martin Scorsese contender in 2017?

This was first reported by Variety