Robert De Niro would reprise his title role in Martin Scorsese’s classic film, Taxi Driver (1976).
The 80-year-old actor will be back behind the wheel as Travis Bickle – or at least belting out some of his iconic lines – when he films a series of commercials for Uber, The sun reported Tuesday.
According to a source, De Niro will repeat the widely quoted phrase “Are you talking to me?” as part of the announcements.
DailyMail.com has contacted a representative for De Niro for comment.
The news follows De Niro’s recent publicity forays, following multiple 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 adverts for Uber, The Sun reported Tuesday; seen in May in Cannes, France
A classic: De Niro would play a version of taxi driver turned obsessive vigilante Travis Bickle. The 1976 film, directed by Martin Scorsese, is considered one of the greatest of all time.
Taxi Driver is considered a key New York City film, but Uber’s commercials make a confusing choice to film in London.
A source said the ad series was “a great idea”, adding: “Taxi Driver is one of the most iconic films of all time.”
“But he will definitely get some stick for that too,” they continued.
The source noted that De Niro was channeling nostalgia for his star performances, although Taxi Driver is an unusually dark and violent film that he references in an ad.
“A lot of people are under the impression that some of these classic films are his best work, and the ad listings sell out a little bit, but obviously he had a very expensive personal life,” the source said.
De Niro was previously one of the faces of British baking brand Warburtons, which has also received support from celebrities such as George Clooney, Sylvester Stallone and, most recently, Samuel L. Jackson.
In 2019, the Oscar winner appeared in a campaign for the aptly named Kia Niro electric car, and he also directed commercials for Santander Bank and American Express.
The string of recent adverts, which were previously rare for the actor, could help fund his costly divorce from second wife Grace Hightower. He filed for divorce from the philanthropist in 2018 after marrying in 1997.
The two had to sell their house for $20 million, and De Niro’s alimony agreement requires him to pay him $1 million a year until one of them dies or she remarried.
Paying His Debts: “A lot of people are under the impression that some of these classic films are his best work, and signing up for commercials sells a little bit, but obviously he had a very expensive personal life,” said The source ; seen in June in New York
Child support checks: De Niro has made several commercials in recent years following his costly 2018 divorce from Grace Hightower and his separation from the mothers of his children. He welcomed his seventh child with partner Tiffany Chen (pictured together in May in Cap d’Antibes, France)
Quotable: The source said De Niro would reprise the iconic “Are you talking to me?” line that Bickle uses while bulking up in front of a mirror and showing off his newly purchased handguns
In 2021, her lawyer claimed that the legendary Raging Bull star was forced to take almost every role offered to her in order to pay her ex’s divorce costs and alimony, which may also explain the recent wave of advertisements.
The source noted that De Niro would play “Travis Bickle,” his Taxi Driver character, and “say a few lines and stick to them.”
They added that “his previous ads have shown he has no problem making fun of himself.”
It’s possible that he’s simply using some of the character’s key phrases without necessarily playing the same Travis Bickle, who murders three mob-linked men after becoming obsessed with a 12-year-old girl named Iris who is being sex trafficked for of prostitution, before attempting, unsuccessfully, to shoot himself in the head.
Bickle also shoots and kills a man who was trying to rob a convenience store earlier in the film.
Although the character appears to escape any criminal prosecution for the bloody murders, he is not treated as a hero but rather presented 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 refuses his brutal advances, he crosses the line and attempts to assassinate the presidential candidate before ultimately deciding to “free” the sex-trafficked child.
Going dark: Although he is rumored to be playing Travis Bickle, he could simply be adapting the character’s famous lines. Bickle killed four people in the film, became obsessed with a 12-year-old sex-trafficked girl, and attempted to assassinate a presidential candidate in revenge for a lover who turned him down in the film.
Difficult Subject: Cybill Shepherd starred in Taxi Driver as a campaign worker who refuses Bickle’s disturbing advances, before turning his attention to underage prostitute Iris (Jodie Foster).
The film was a major critical and commercial success and is considered one of the greatest films of the 1970s and of all time.
The film, written by Paul Schrader, was the second collaboration between De Niro and director Martin Scorsese, who would work together several times on films including Raging Bull, Goodfellas, Casino and Cape Fear.
Their most recent reunion after decades apart took place in the critically acclaimed popular drama The Irishman and the upcoming film Killers Of The Flower Moon, based on the non-fiction book of the same name about an indigenous tribe who was systematically murdered by white members of the community hoping to steal oil revenues from the reservations.
Insiders added that Uber hopes to invite other celebrities to appear as passengers in the commercials, although it is unclear whether they would star with De Niro or have their own commercials.