Martin Scorsese says his new FOX Nation series 'The Saints' was a story he always wanted to tell
FOX Nation presented an exclusive screening of Martin Scorsese's new series, "The Saints," on Thursday night in New York City.
"Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints" will premiere in two parts, with the first four episodes set to release on Sunday, November 17 and the final set to conclude in April and May 2025, spanning the Holy season. The exclusive screening at the Whitby Hotel in Midtown Manhattan featured a panel hosted by Scorsese himself, along with a cocktail reception with the legendary filmmaker.
The exclusive docudrama explores the remarkable stories of eight men and women who risked everything to embody faith. Attendees including FOX News Media executives, some of Fox News Channel's biggest stars, people who helped create the series, religious leaders, friends of Scorsese and others got a sneak peek of gripping episodes about Joan of Arc and Maximilian Kolbe.
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The 81-year-old Scorsese said this project has been on his mind for decades and has been trying to find time since he made "Raging Bull" in 1980.
"I grew up practically living in the St. Patrick's Old Cathedral downtown, contemplating, meditating those statues of the saints, different saints, and wondering about their stories," Scorsese said.
"What is a saint? Is it something superhuman? Can they achieve something easier than we can because we’re human beings? I realized, ‘No,’" Scorsese continued. "The point is they’re human."
Scorsese said that full-length films about saints were prominent when he was growing up, but such stories have not been told in recent years.
"Maybe the fact that there are saints, were saints and still are saints is something that’s lost on our newest generation. Because we don’t live with them. So, we thought this was a good attempt to try and understand what that is and what faith is, really," the filmmaker said.
"I've always wanted to do it," he added, joking "I was busy."
Over the course of the exclusive FOX Nation docudrama, Scorsese journeys over 2,000 years of history throughout nearly every continent. Each episode focuses on a singular saint, including Joan of Arc, Francis of Assisi, John the Baptist, Thomas Becket, Mary Magdalene, Moses the Black, Sebastian, and Maximilian Kolbe.
During the panel discussion with consultant Mary Karr, Father James Martin, author Paul Elie, and Father Edward Beck, Scorsese asked the experts on stage how they would define the word "saint."
Scorsese explained that many believe there are "saints you don’t see," such as modern doctors and other selfless people.
"The films that we made are the ones we do know about… because of how their lives changed the lives of so many others," he said.
The famed filmmaker joked that the series took so long because he "got sucked into making movies again" over 40 years ago when he first thought about a series on saints.
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Throughout the week, FOX Nation fans have been able to stop by a marketing activation pop-up outside the Fox Corporation headquarters in New York to receive custom photos of themselves as saints.
Scorsese is an Academy Award-winning director and one of the most influential filmmakers of all time. His 2006 film, "The Departed," won Oscars for Best Director and Best Picture.
He also directed "The Wolf of Wall Street" and "The Irishman," which both received Academy Award nominations for Best Director and Best Picture. His 2023 feature, "Killers of The Flower Moon," received 10 Oscar nominations. Other films by Scorsese like "Taxi Driver" and "Goodfellas" are widely considered some of the greatest ever made.
Scorsese has also explored the topic of faith with such works as "Silence" and "The Last Temptation of Christ."
Developed by Scorsese for Lionsgate Alternative Television, "Martin Scorsese Presents: The Saints" was created by Matti Leshem, who first approached Scorsese seven years ago.
The docuseries is written by Kent Jones, who frequently collaborates with Scorsese, and directed by Elizabeth Chomko. Additional executive producers alongside Scorsese and Leshem include Julie Yorn, Rick Yorn, Christopher Donnelly, Yoshi Stone and Craig Piligian.
To watch weekly installments of "The Saints," sign up for FOX Nation and begin streaming the series today. FOX Nation is offering a three-month free trial with the promo code "SAINTS."
FOX Nation programs are viewable on-demand and from your mobile device app, but only for FOX Nation subscribers. Go to FOX Nation to start a free trial and watch the extensive library from your favorite FOX Nation personalities.
Fox News Digital’s Laura Carrione contributed to this report.
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