Paramount Pictures has finally set a release date for Silence, Martin Scorsese‘s long-awaited directorial effort following his award-winning The Wolf of Wall Street.

It has been so long since there has been anything to report that it seemed like the film would be put on hold for a later release. But now there is word that it will be hitting theaters this December, just in time for a nice Oscar campaign. Check out more on the story below.

The Wrap says the release will be limited on December 23, 2016, and then go wide in January 2017. A typical plan for any studio that is eyeing some nice Academy Awards for their mantle, and with the talent involved in this film, it is easy to see why Paramount has given Silence the release date.

Based on ShÅ«saku Endō‘s historical novel, the movie follows two Jesuit Portuguese Catholic priests as they face violent persecution when they travel to Japan to seek out their mentor and spread the teachings of Christianity. Liam Neeson, Andrew Garfield, and Adam Driver will play the priests. Scorsese and Jay Cocks penned the script.

As far as competition goes, the film doesn’t look like it will be seeking box office recognition – although it would be a huge plus if it does break some records. La La Land, which will open two weeks earlier, has already been earning some huge praise in its early film festival run, making it all the more likely it will near some noms. A Monster Calls, which shares the same release date as Silence and also stars Neeson, has also been earning some well-deserved recognition. But as we enter the Oscar race, we still have yet to see Miss Sloane, Collateral Beauty, Live By Night, Fences, and Gold. The talents involved in those films are fierce, but it’s not likely that Scorsese won’t snag at least a few awards in creativity and performance.

Some of the bigger tentpoles that Silence will have to contend with are Assassin’s Creed, Passengers, and Sing, all of which will open in theaters on December 21. It will also have to contend with Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which opens on December 16.

There was some worry that the film would not be released this year given that it has not made an appearance at Cannes, the Toronto International Film Festival, or Telluride. But now that it officially has a release date, we can finally look forward to some great trailers in the coming weeks.

Tadanobu Asano and Ciarán Hinds also star.

[Source: The Wrap]