Apple Original Films is set to adapt Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead novels, with acclaimed director Martin Scorsese leading the project as writer, director, and producer. This adaptation deal was arranged by Ellen Levine of Trident Media Group and Susan Schulman of the Susan Schulman Literary Agency. Filmmaker Todd Field, a multi-Academy Award nominee, will also serve as a producer on the project.
The first installment in the planned adaptations will be a feature film version of Home, the second novel in Robinson’s four-part Gilead series. Scorsese will direct and produce the film for Apple, with Leonardo DiCaprio attached to play a leading role. Alongside Scorsese’s Sikelia Productions, the film will be co-produced by DiCaprio’s Appian Way Productions and LBI Entertainment, managed by Rick Yorn, who represents both Scorsese and DiCaprio. Apple has yet to disclose plans regarding the adaptation of the series’ other titles: Gilead, Lila, and Jack.
Home, published in 2008 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux, follows the Pulitzer Prize–winning Gilead and precedes Lila and Jack. The novel, which was recognized with a National Book Critics Circle Award, tells a deeply spiritual and emotional story set in the fictional town of Gilead, Iowa. Drawing inspiration from the biblical parable of the prodigal son, the novel explores themes of redemption, family, and divine grace. Publishers Weekly praised Home in a starred review, calling it “an elegant variation on the parable of the prodigal son’s return” and noting its rich spiritual undertones.
This collaboration unites two major voices in American art. Scorsese, known for his intense, thought-provoking films, has a longstanding interest in religious and moral questions, often reflected in his work. His previous religious-themed adaptations include The Last Temptation of Christ (1988), based on Nikos Kazantzakis’s novel, and Silence (2016), based on Shūsaku Endō’s novel—both critically acclaimed and steeped in Christian theological exploration.
Robinson, similarly, is renowned for integrating her strong Congregationalist beliefs—rooted in Calvinist theology—into her fiction. Her Gilead novels explore spirituality, forgiveness, and the moral struggles of everyday people. The characters’ inner lives are shaped by their faith, lending the series a quiet but profound theological depth. Robinson’s literary reputation is exceptional; in addition to her novels, she has authored six nonfiction books and received numerous honors, including the National Humanities Medal, the Orange Prize, the PEN/Hemingway Award, and the Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction. In 2016, she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 Most Influential People.While specific details about future adaptations of the remaining Gilead novels are still under wraps, this project represents a landmark collaboration between some of the most respected figures in film and literature. With Scorsese’s vision and Robinson’s profound storytelling, the adaptation of Home promises a thoughtful and richly emotional cinematic experience. Further announcements about the series and its creative development are expected in the near future.
