UPDATED 9/26/16 (11:23PM) – The speculation appears to be confirmed as Variety reports that Martin Scorsese’s Silence will indeed be released in theaters in 2016, thus qualifying for awards consideration. The film, distributed by Paramount, will open in limited engagements beginning on December 23rd, followed by a national roll-out in January.

EARLIER: Entertainment website Gold Derby is reporting that Martin Scorsese‘s long awaited drama Silence will be released in December by Paramount, putting the film in possible contention for the Oscar race. Paramount has not released a statement confirming this news yet, but if true, the release of Silence has the potential to shake up Oscar predictions moving forward.

Silence stars Andrew Garfield (The Social Network), Liam Neeson (Taken), Adam Driver (The Force Awakens) and Shin’ya Tsukamoto (Tokyo Fist) and follows the story of two Jesuit priests during the 17th century who are persecuted while travelling through Japan to locate their mentor and spread Christianity.

The film has not yet been seen by audiences but is generating a lot of positive buzz regardless. If the film is indeed destined for this year’s Oscar submissions, that would put Garfield in two awards bait films (the other being Mel Gibson’s Hacksaw Ridge), possibly along with Driver, who garnered a good amount of attention for his understated role in Paterson.

Aside from Scorsese, a nine-time Oscar nominee and winner for 2007’s The Departed, the film has a lot of Academy Award veterans in its ranks. Screenwriter/adapter Jay Cocks has been a past nominee for Gangs of New York and The Age of Innocence, filmmaker Rodrigo Prieto was nominated for his work on Brokeback Mountain, editor Thelma Schoonmaker has won for Raging Bull, The Aviator, and The Departed, and production designers Dante Ferretti and Francesca Lo Schiavo have won for Sweeney Todd, Hugo, and The Aviator.