Robert De Niro will reportedly reprise his title role from Martin Scorsese’s classic 1976 film Taxi Driver.
The 80-year-old actor will be back behind the wheel as Travis Bickle – or at least say some of his iconic lines – as he films a series of commercials for Uber, The Sun reported on Tuesday.
According to a source, De Niro will repeat the oft-quoted line “Are you talking to me?” as part of the advertisements.
has contacted a representative for De Niro for comment.
The news follows recent promotional outings De Niro has undertaken following several costly divorces and separations from the mothers of his seven children.
Old school: Robert De Niro, 80, will reprise his iconic taxi driver character in a new series of commercials for Uber, The Sun reported on Tuesday; seen in May in Cannes, France
A classic: De Niro reportedly plays a version of taxi driver turned obsessive vigilante Travis Bickle. Martin Scorsese’s 1976 film is considered one of the greatest of all time
Taxi Driver is considered one of New York City’s key films, but the Uber ads make a puzzling decision to supposedly film in London.
A source gushed that the series of adverts was “a great idea”, adding: “Taxi Driver is one of the most iconic films of all time.”
“But he’ll definitely get a stick for it,” they continued.
The source noted that De Niro exuded nostalgia for his star performances, even though “Taxi Driver” is an unusually dark and violent film referenced in one advertisement.
“A lot of people feel like some of these classic films are his best work, and commercial sign-ups are a little sold out, but obviously he had a very expensive personal life,” the source said.
De Niro was previously one of the faces of British bakery brand Warburtons, which also received celebrity endorsements from George Clooney, Sylvester Stallone and most recently Samuel L. Jackson.
Back in 2019, the Oscar winner appeared in a campaign for the aptly named Kia Niro electric car and also did ads for Santander Bank and American Express.
The series of recent commercials, previously a rarity for the actor, could help finance his expensive divorce from second wife Grace Hightower. After marrying in 1997, he filed for divorce from the philanthropist in 2018.
The two had to sell their $20 million home, and De Niro’s support agreement calls for him to pay her $1 million a year until one of them dies or she remarries.
Paying off his debts: “A lot of people feel like some of these classic films are his best works, and commercials are a bit sold out, but obviously he had a very expensive personal life,” the source said; seen in June in NYC
Support checks: De Niro has made several advertisements in recent years following his costly divorce from Grace Hightower in 2018 and separation from the mothers of his children. He welcomed his seventh child with his partner Tiffany Chen (pictured together in Cap D’Antibes, France in May).
Quotable: The source said De Niro will repeat the iconic “You talkin’ to me?” Line used by Bickle while posing in front of a mirror and showing off his newly purchased handguns
In 2021, his lawyer claimed that the legendary Raging Bull star was forced to accept almost every role that came his way in order to pay his ex’s divorce costs and alimony payments, which may also be responsible for the recent spate of commercials is.
The source stated that De Niro will play “Travis Bickle,” his character from “Taxi Driver,” and will “say a few lines and stick to them.”
They added: “His previous ads have shown he has no problem making fun of himself.”
It’s possible he’s just using some of the character’s key phrases, without necessarily playing the same Travis Bickle, who murders three men connected to the Mafia after becoming obsessed with a 12-year-old girl named Iris who goes into prostitution for sex is driven. before unsuccessfully attempting to shoot himself in the head.
Bickle also shoots and kills a man who attempts to rob a supermarket early in the film.
Although the character is apparently not subject to criminal prosecution for the bloody murders, he is not treated as a hero, but rather portrayed as a dangerous and obsessive loner on the fringes of society.
The film also details another obsessive relationship with a woman, this time with a campaign worker (played by Cybill Shepherd) for a fictional presidential candidate.
When she rejects his awkward advances, he goes too far and tries to murder the presidential candidate before ultimately deciding to “release” the sexually trafficked child.
Going Dark: Although he’s set to play Travis Bickle, he may just be adapting the character’s famous lines. Bickle killed four people in the film, became obsessed with a 12-year-old girl who was forced into sex trafficking, and attempted to murder a presidential candidate to get revenge on a lover who rejected him in the film
Difficult subject: Cybill Shepherd played a campaign worker in “Taxi Driver” who rejects Bickle’s disturbing advances before setting his sights on underage prostitute Iris (Jodie Foster).
The film was a huge critical and commercial success and is considered one of the greatest films of the 1970s and of all time.
Written by Paul Schrader, the film was the second collaboration between De Niro and director Martin Scorsese, who worked together several times on films such as Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino and Cape Fear.
Their most recent reunions after decades of separation took place in the critically acclaimed mafia drama “The Irishman” and the upcoming film “Killers Of The Flower Moon,” based on the non-fiction book of the same name about a native tribe systematically controlled by white members The community hopes to steal the reservation’s oil revenues.
Insiders added that Uber is hoping to book other celebrities as passengers in the ads, although it is unclear whether they would appear alongside De Niro or have their own commercials.