Martin Scorsese to direct a biopic on Sinatra

he filmmaker, who is well known for tackling stories related to Italian American identity, will get another chance to explore his favourite theme with 'Sinatra'.

The film will not only allow Scorsese to explore the life of a man with enormous cultural impact but it will also give him a chance to paint a portrait of Sinatra's pal, Dean Martin, The Hollywood Reporter said.

Scorsese has been planning to make a film on Martin but the project has been dormant for some time and now the research for Martin's biopic is expected to help the director in developing the project on Sinatra'.

The script of 'Sinatra' has been written by 'Field of Dreams' fame Phil Alden Robinson. Mandalay Pictures' Peter Guber and Cathy Schulman are producing along with Scorsese and his Sikelia Prods.

The deal comes after years of negotiations with Frank Sinatra Enterprises, a joint venture of the crooner's estate and Warner Music Group.

The project was delayed because the family members of the iconic singer had to form a consensus as to how to tell the story.
"The obstacles were ones of comfort and trust. Everybody that was in control of the rights had to unanimously agree to do this. And having Marty at the head of this was the thing that ultimately cracked the code, so to speak," producer Schulman said.

Oscar-nominated Robinson has reportedly amassed 30,000 pages of research for the project, Schulman said.
"It'll be almost like a collage. In the way one of his records captures different rhythms and moods, this will have collective scenes and moments that form the overall story as opposed to a conventional timeline. It's about capturing moments as opposed to trying to tell the entire story in too little time."
Sinatra, who was born in Hoboken, New Jersy, and raised during the Depression, built a singing career that boasts of 31 gold records and countless other honors. He was also successful as an actor and won an Oscar for 1953's 'From Here to Eternity."

The singer-actor's personal life was quite eventful making it a perfect material for a film. He suffered from depression and married four times. Sinatra died in 1998 at the age of 82.