It took far too long to get Martin Scorsese an Academy award. Several of his pictures were worthy of earning the director the honor of an Oscar, but it wasn’t until The Departed that he got it. Award now in hand, apparently Scorsese is turning his back on what fans want.

Okay, maybe that’s an overly dramatic way of reporting this, but I’m flat-out disappointed by this rumor. The scuttlebutt at The Collider’s Entertainment News is that Scorsese has dropped out of directing Frankie Machine, a project that was supposed to reunite Scorsese with Robert De Niro in the story of a retired Mafia hitman.

Even worse, if the rumor is to be believed, Frankie Machine may very well not even happen now. With Scorsese departing the picture, the project as a whole may be falling apart. No De Niro, no script from Brian Koppleman and David Levien brought to life, nothing. Just someone stop De Niro from making another comedy.

Hopefully this news is just a baseless rumor, but The Collider seems pretty sure of its reliable source. I was so looking forward to another film with Scorsese and De Niro. In my opinion, the director has been responsible for some of De Niro’s best work and, with the exception of Stardust, the actor hasn’t exactly been hitting fantastic roles lately. There is the hope that perhaps the two will reunite over something else, but that’s pretty much just speculation.