Martin Scorsese's New Netflix Movie Gets First Trailer, And It's Unlike Most Of His Other Work

Noted gangster film/digital de-aging enthusiast and Marvel movie hater Martin Scorsese will be bringing a surprise new documentary to Netflix in two weeks on January 8. Pretend It's a City, about Scorsese's longtime friend author Fran Lebowitz, is a "furiously funny guidebook every New Yorker has at one point wished for."

In the context of quarantine viewing, the film--which has Lebowitz wander around NYC and offer her observations and philosophies on her surroundings--looks to unintentionally double as a historical document of what life was like in New York before the pandemic. Check out the trailer below to get a taste of the movie's free-wheeling flavor.

The official synopsis offers a bit more shading and context for the film: "Pretend It's a City checks in with a classic urban voice on subjects ranging from tourists, money, subways and the arts to the not-so-simple act of walking in Times Square. (There is a right way to do it.) Along the way, Lebowitz's own past comes into focus: a life marked by constant curiosity and invigorating independence."

The film also stands as an unusual entry in Scorsese's filmography. While known for being a director who does not often make sequels, Pretend It's a City is a follow-up to 2010's Public Speaking. Public Speaking was another fly-on-the-wall documentary about Lebowitz, only--as the title suggests--composed of interviews and clips from various speaking engagements.

Pretend It's a City will hit Netflix on January 8, 2021. Scorsese has new projects in the works for Apple, some of which are set to begin filming in February 2021.