MARTIN SCORSESE - SCORSESE PLANS SMALLER FILMS

Acclaimed movie director MARTIN SCORSESE is ditching big-budget epic productions in favour of making cheaper, more personal films.

The GANGS OF NEW YORK legend has just finished shooting HOWARD HUGHES biopic AVIATOR and he's starting to crave the freedom that a smaller budget allows.

The 61-year-old says, "I'm looking forward to making pictures that have a little smaller budget and taking different stories and going that way.

"As HARVEY WEINSTEIN said to me this morning, 'If you want to do a film that is kind of dark or violent for $20 million (GBP11.1 million) or something, fine. Shoot it in 30 days.'

"But if you are going to do something for $100 million (GBP55.5 million) or $110 million (GBP60 million), it alters your subject matter and how you present the subject matter.

"And you know, as I get older too, I don't know if there is any room for me, in a way, with what is happening."