The initial reports regarding the upcoming Joker origin movie from writer / director Todd Phillips noted that the project was loosely inspired by the Martin Scorsese classic King of Comedy — so it makes sense that Scorsese himself was persuaded to executive produce Joker. According to a new report, that King of Comedy connection is getting a little more obvious, as Robert De Niro is officially in talks to join Joaquin Phoenix in the DC standalone film.
Jake LaMotta, the boxer dubbed the “Bronx Bull” and immortalized by Robert De Niro and Martin Scorsese in Raging Bull, has died at the age of 95. LaMotta passed away Tuesday in a nursing home, members of his family told TMZ, from complications from pneumonia, his wife said.
Like most cinephiles, I was vaguely aware that Joe Pesci has been retired from acting for a while now, but I assumed that meant he had made a few low-budget movies in the early 2000s and walked away. Imagine my surprise, then, when I realized that Pesci has made exactly two live-action movies since Lethal Weapon 4 in 1998. One was The Good Shepherd, the Robert De Niro-directed 2006 drama about the early history of the CIA. And if a close friend can lure Joe Pesci out of retirement once, maybe he can do it again.
It’s one of the most famous lines in movie history: “You talkin’ to me?” But did you know that signature dialogue from Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver wasn’t even in Paul Schrader’s original script? Robert De Niro improvised it on set, after hearing Bruce Springsteen of all people say it at a concert a few days before shooting the scene. At the concert, during a particularly loud burst of applause, The Boss feigned humility and joked “You talkin’ to me?” De Niro remembered the moment and used it in the film to make history. That’s just one of the facts featured in the newest episode of You Think You Know Movies!
You’d be surprised by how many beloved directors earn a little extra cash anonymously directing commercials, but when you hire the great Martin Scorsese to help sell your lavish new casino in Manilla Bay, Philippines, you end up with a full fledged Scorsese Picture. Which means that this is one of the most energetic and stylish advertisements you’ll see this year … and that it stars Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio.