Martin Scorsese in a new dimension

Martin Scorsese wanted to make a family film when he had a child in his 50s.

The 69-year-old filmmaker who has been married five times and has two grown up daughters committed to making 3-D adventure movie Hugo after reading stories to his youngest child Francesca, now 12, despite him being best known for violent adult films such asTaxi Driver and Goodfellas.

“I read Hugo with my daughter and she was interested in it. And it wasn’t just her, it was her friends. They liked it,” he said.

“Naturally I am associated more with the films for adults like Taxi Driver and Raging Bull but it seemed very natural and the right time of my life to try something like this.

“My first two daughters were born when I was in my 20s and 30s. Francesca was born when I was in my late 50s. My wife and I are both older parents and my lifestyle has changed to the point where I am with the child every day.”

However, as Francesca began to grow, Martin admits she caught him lying about the nature of the world and even the books he was reading to her.

“We were playing and talking, talking and talking. She would ask questions like, ‘What is a flower?’ and I would make up answers,” he said.

“Eventually she would catch on and say, ‘Is that true? Are you lying?’ I would say, ‘It is not technically a lie, it is more of an imagination.’

“I would be reading a lot to the child, books like The Jungle Book. I would read the story as written at first. I would then act out different parts and start improvising.

“And when she got to six or seven and started reading she would ask, ‘Is that what it says right there? I said, ‘Some people might say this improvisation is pretty good not everyone.’ “