Scorsese had long anticipated filming an adaptation of Shūsaku Endō's novel "Silence", a drama about the lives of two Portuguese Jesuit priests in Japan during the 17th century. He had originally planned "Silence" as his next project following "Shutter Island." On April 19, 2013, financing was secured for "Silence" by Emmett/Furla Films, and filming began in January 2015. By November 2016, the film had completed post-production. It was written by Jay Cocks and Scorsese, based on the novel, and stars Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson, and Adam Driver. The film was released on December 23, 2016. Scorsese was recognized as an Italian citizen by "jus sanguinis" in 2018.