Japanese actor Tadanobu Asano is set to star as lead in Martin Scorsese's upcoming project 'Silence.'
The movie, which is Jay Cocks-scripted adaptation of the novel by Shusaku Endo, also stars Andrew Garfield, Liam Neeson, and Adam Driver, and had begun filming early this year, Deadline.com reported.
Asano, who's best known for starring in the Sergey Bodro's 'Mongol,' has replaced Ken Watanabe in the role of an interpreter who accompanies two Jesuit priests (Garfield and Driver) as they search for their mentor (Neeson) who went to 17th Century Japan to spread the gospel of Christianity.
Watanabe quit due to clash of dates with Broadway revival of 'The King and I,' which begins rehearsals in New York this month.
The film is being funded by Emmett/Furla/Oasis Films with Corsan Entertainment co-financing.
