Marshall hopes to, but his contract with Miramax — who produced the Academy Award-winning "Chicago" — may prevent him from doing so. Marshall's contract with the movie studio obligates the much-honored director to complete his second film with them; however, "Memoirs" is being produced by Columbia and DreamWorks. Marshall told AP, "It's complicated because it involves a lot of different players. It's flattering in a way, because you have a lot of people saying, 'We want him to do this picture. No, we want him to do this picture.' I'm anxious to go to work. I believe I need to do this picture."

"Memoirs of a Geisha," based on Arthur Golden's novel of the same, tells the fictional story of Nitta Sayuri's life as a geisha. The novel begins in a 1929 fishing village when the nine-year-old Sayuri is taken from her home and sold into slavery. At a renowned geisha house, she makes the transformation and learns the art of the geisha.

"I know it's getting a little sticky," Marshall added, "but I do have faith that it will work out. I really enjoyed my experience with Miramax, and I'm hoping that they'll find it in their hearts to be generous and let me do this movie."

A Tony Award nominee for his work on Damn Yankees, Little Me, She Loves Me, Kiss of the Spider Woman and Cabaret, Rob Marshall made his feature-film directorial debut last year with the Academy Award-winning adaptation of "Chicago."