Martin Scorseses Bill Clinton Documentary Shelved Over Creative Control

Martin Scorseses upcoming slate is already packed with an authorized Grateful Dead documentary, his rock & roll HBO series co-created with Mick Jaggerand the planned Ramones biopic. However, another of the legendary directors projects, the partly finished HBO-backed documentary on President Bill Clinton, has been indefinitely shelved as the director and former POTUS wrestle over control of the film.

According to New York Times, Scorsese and Clinton are butting heads over their interviews Frost/Nixonstyle, with the Goodfellas director unwilling to relinquish control of the questions and their content.

Considering the strong possibility that Hillary Clinton is planning her own presidential run in 2016, Bill also reportedly wants input over the documentarys final cut to ensure nothing that can harm her campaign is aired. Scorsese, for his part, is reluctant to give up the reins of the editing room.

Because of this, as well as daughter Chelsea Clintons supposed involvement in the film, the documentarys production is currently at a standstill. When asked about the lingering disagreement between Scorsese and Clinton, a spokesman for the 42nd President called the allegations inaccurate.

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Although Scorsese didnt comment on the rift, an HBO rep told the Times of the Clinton doc, Its not happening soon but that doesnt mean its not going to happen. Scorsese is currently in Taiwan working on preproduction for his 2016 film Silence.

A towering figure who remains a major voice in world issues, President Clinton continues to shape the political dialogue both here and around the world, Scorsese said in a statementwhen the documentary was announced in December 2012. Through intimate conversations, I hope to provide greater insight into this transcendent figure.

Clinton added in his own statement, I am pleased that legendary director Martin Scorsese and HBO have agreed to do this film. I look forward to sharing my perspective on my years as president, and my work in the years since, with HBOs audience.

The stalled Clinton documentary is the latest in a pile of abandoned projects about the former President and First Lady. An NBC miniseries that would have starred Diane Lane in the role of Clinton was nixed, as well as a planned CNN documentary in 2013 and a unauthorized biopic called Rodham about Bill and Hillarys relationship, the Times writes.