Martin Scorsese Partners With Fox Nation for 8-Part Docudrama ‘The Saints’
Martin Scorsese has signed a deal with Fox Nation, the subscription streaming service of Fox News, to host, narrate and executive produce an eight-part docudrama called “The Saints.”
The series, the first part of which is slated to release in November, will explore the stories of saints throughout history — including Joan of Arc, Francis of Assisi, John the Baptist, Thomas Becket, Mary Magdalene and more. Each episode will focus on a single saint’s journey to faith. “The Saints” will air in two parts, with the second batch of episodes set to air in May 2025.
“These are stories of eight very different men and women, each of them living through vastly different periods of history and struggling to follow the way of love revealed to them and to us by Jesus’ words in the gospels,” Scorsese said in a statement. “I’m so excited that this project is underway, and that I’m working with so many trusted and talented collaborators.”
Fox News Media chief digital and marketing officer Jason Klarman announced the partnership on Wednesday, saying in a statement, “Having the greatest storyteller tell some of the greatest stories of all time is exactly the kind of exclusive content that is driving Fox Nation’s success. It’s an honor to welcome the world-renowned Martin Scorsese to the Fox Nation platform.”
Fox Nation is the network’s direct-to-consumer streaming service that complements the Fox News Channel with unique programming catered toward regular Fox viewers. The service currently features nearly 10,000 hours of content consisting of lifestyle, entertainment, historical documentaries and investigative pieces. The service costs $5.99 a month or $64.99 a year.
The streaming service has already attracted deals with other notable Hollywood personalities, including Kevin Costner, Dan Aykroyd, Dennis Quaid and Rob Lowe.
The new series was developed by Scorsese for Lionsgate Alternative Television and created by Matti Leshem. “The Saints” was written by Kent Jones.
“No matter what medium he is working in, Martin Scorsese is one of the world’s most compelling and evocative creative voices,” producer and managing director of Lionsgate Alternative Television Craig Piligian said in a statement. “This series will showcase his unique ability to inspire global audiences with moving depictions of history.”
The Academy Award-winning filmmaker has recently expressed interest in pursuing projects related to religion, telling the Los Angeles Times in January that he had completed a screenplay for a film about Jesus.
The film is cowritten by Kent Jones based on the book “A Life of Jesus,” by Shūsaku Endō. It will shoot later this year, Scorsese said.
“I’m trying to find a new way to make it more accessible and take away the negative onus of what has been associated with organized religion,” Scorsese told the LA Times.
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