Martin Scorsese's complex relationship with the Catholic Church spans decades, marked by spiritual inquiry and cinematic controversy. His 1988 masterpiece The Last Temptation of Christ ignited global backlash for humanizing Jesus with doubts and desires, yet earned Vatican condemnation while deepening Scorsese's faith explorations.

Later works like Silence in 2016 wrestled apostasy and missionary zeal in Japan. These films blend reverence with provocation, positioning Scorsese as cinema's conflicted Catholic chronicler.

That enduring dialogue with spirituality now culminates in his latest documentary.

Martin Scorsese’s Aldeas, the Final Dream of Pope Francis, holds its world premiere with a private screening at the Vatican on April 21, 2026. The event coincides exactly one year after the pontiff’s death. Produced by Aldeas Scholas Films with Scorsese’s Sikelia Productions and Massive Owl Productions, the film weaves the late pope’s educational vision through Scholas Occurrentes with global cinematic storytelling.

Filmed in Italy, Indonesia, Gambia, and Vatican City, Aldeas features Pope Francis’ last recorded testimony, captured shortly before his passing. Communities worldwide unite to craft personal narratives. Scorsese returns to his grandfather’s Sicilian village, guiding local youth in filmmaking. Francis praised it as extraordinarily poetic and deeply transformative, reaching the essence of human sociability amid conflicts.

Directors Clare Tavernor and Johnny Shipley lead alongside cinematographers Ellen Kuras and Salvatore Totino. Independently financed, all proceeds sustain the global initiative. Scorsese called the film a tribute to the Holy Father, honoring Francis’ dream of human culture amid historical urgency. No wider distribution details accompany the Vatican debut.

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While Martin Scorsese honors Pope Francis through Aldeas, he is also preparing another major project.

Martin Scorsese’s next narrative feature, What Happens at Night, marks his seventh collaboration with Leonardo DiCaprio and reunites the director with themes of psychological unraveling akin to Shutter Island. Adapted from Peter Cameron’s 2020 gothic novel by screenwriter Patrick Marber, the film follows an unnamed American couple (DiCaprio and Jennifer Lawrence) traveling to a snowy European town for adoption.

At the eerie Borgarfjaroasysla Grand Imperial Hotel, they encounter a flamboyant singer, corrupt businessman, and faith healer (Mads Mikkelsen), blurring their identities and marriage amid surreal horror. Patricia Clarkson and Jared Harris round out the cast. Apple Original Films finances in partnership with Studiocanal.

Production began in February 2026 in the Czech Republic, with cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto. Scorsese cited Hitchcock’s Vertigo as a tonal reference. No release date is set, though late 2026 or 2027 is anticipated. This gothic thriller follows Scorsese’s Vatican premiere, keeping him immersed in provocative visions of faith, mystery, and the human psyche.

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