MTV's Josh Horowitz spoke with legendary actor Robert De Niro last week on the even of the Tribeca Film Festival, which kicks off on Wednesday. The festival co-founder was unusually talkative during their chat, even opening up about a rumored "Taxi Driver" sequel that's long made the rounds among the movies-loving blogosphere. De Niro's role as New York City cab driver Travis Bickle in the 1976 film is considered one of the defining moments in his career. Even still, it's surprising to hear him speak with enthusiasm about possibly returning to the role these many years later.
"I had talked to [writer] Paul Schrader and [director Martin Scorsese] about what would happen to Travis these years later," he explained. "And we had a thing and we tried to figure it out and Paul was trying to come up with something and it just didn't seem to work."
Which isn't to say that the core idea of revisiting Travis Bickle is dead. De Niro, at least, is keeping an open mind.
"You never know-- something could come up. But I thought it would be interesting to find a way to bring him back all these years later. Probably ironic where he would wind up -- as he did even in the first one -- all these years later. It's still possible."
De Niro does a great job of remaining spoiler-free in his discussion of the film. That all ends here. SPOILER ALERT! In "Taxi Driver," Bickle's descent into violent madness culminates in a bloody shootout at a brothel in Alphabet City. He survives the encounter, and is ultimately hailed a hero -- the irony De Niro spoke of -- but the movie's final scene suggests that there's no future happy ending for this man. So where could he go?
Politician
Bickle's rough-and-tumble ways and not-so-stylish mohawk would likely be a major obstacle if he follows the career path of a politician. He could certainly do some damage from this position of authority, but I think our taxi driving friend would opt for a somewhat different direction.
Police Officer
Let's see. Bickle has a skewed sense of morality, an appreciation for power and no compunctions about pointing a gun at someone and pulling the trigger. He'd be PERFECT as a New York City cop.
Super-Villain
The Bickle we saw in "Taxi Driver" had some nobility to him, skewed though it was. That all changed after his brothel showdown led to him being hailed as a hero. With his faith in the world shattered, Bickle turns to the criminal's life. He's got big ideas though; the skewed nobility remains, breeding a megalomaniac. World, meet Travis Bickle, your future emperor.
Punisher-inspired Vigilante
Following the events of Bickle's brothel showdown, he struggles along through life, trying to figure out exactly what's happened to his life and where he went wrong. That is until one day, when a customer leaves behind an issue of "Punisher: War Zone" in Bickle's cab. Inspired by Frank Castle's vigilante ways, Bickle picks up his guns once again in pursuit of a happy ending... but he finds only blood, pain and loss.
Taxi Driver
The most likely possibility, of course, is that Bickle continues on with his taxi driving ways. Maybe he meets a new prostitute he wants to help, maybe he starts crushing on another woman. Maybe there's a new twist... an illegitimate son, a friendly alien from outer space, an unusually talented homeless street artist. Whatever the circumstances are, two things are certain: Bickle is still angry and he still has a large collection of handguns.
Tags robert de niro
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EXCLUSIVE: Robert De Niro Thinks A 'Taxi Driver' Sequel Is 'Still Possible' -- Where Could Travis Bickle Go?
Posted 4/19/10 2:47 pm EST by Adam Rosenberg in Commentary, Hot Stuff, Humor
MTV's Josh Horowitz spoke with legendary actor Robert De Niro last week on the even of the Tribeca Film Festival, which kicks off on Wednesday. The festival co-founder was unusually talkative during their chat, even opening up about a rumored "Taxi Driver" sequel that's long made the rounds among the movies-loving blogosphere. De Niro's role as New York City cab driver Travis Bickle in the 1976 film is considered one of the defining moments in his career. Even still, it's surprising to hear him speak with enthusiasm about possibly returning to the role these many years later.
"I had talked to [writer] Paul Schrader and [director Martin Scorsese] about what would happen to Travis these years later," he explained. "And we had a thing and we tried to figure it out and Paul was trying to come up with something and it just didn't seem to work."
Which isn't to say that the core idea of revisiting Travis Bickle is dead. De Niro, at least, is keeping an open mind.
"You never know-- something could come up. But I thought it would be interesting to find a way to bring him back all these years later. Probably ironic where he would wind up -- as he did even in the first one -- all these years later. It's still possible."
De Niro does a great job of remaining spoiler-free in his discussion of the film. That all ends here. SPOILER ALERT! In "Taxi Driver," Bickle's descent into violent madness culminates in a bloody shootout at a brothel in Alphabet City. He survives the encounter, and is ultimately hailed a hero -- the irony De Niro spoke of -- but the movie's final scene suggests that there's no future happy ending for this man. So where could he go?
Politician
Bickle's rough-and-tumble ways and not-so-stylish mohawk would likely be a major obstacle if he follows the career path of a politician. He could certainly do some damage from this position of authority, but I think our taxi driving friend would opt for a somewhat different direction.
Police Officer
Let's see. Bickle has a skewed sense of morality, an appreciation for power and no compunctions about pointing a gun at someone and pulling the trigger. He'd be PERFECT as a New York City cop.
Super-Villain
The Bickle we saw in "Taxi Driver" had some nobility to him, skewed though it was. That all changed after his brothel showdown led to him being hailed as a hero. With his faith in the world shattered, Bickle turns to the criminal's life. He's got big ideas though; the skewed nobility remains, breeding a megalomaniac. World, meet Travis Bickle, your future emperor.
Punisher-inspired Vigilante
Following the events of Bickle's brothel showdown, he struggles along through life, trying to figure out exactly what's happened to his life and where he went wrong. That is until one day, when a customer leaves behind an issue of "Punisher: War Zone" in Bickle's cab. Inspired by Frank Castle's vigilante ways, Bickle picks up his guns once again in pursuit of a happy ending... but he finds only blood, pain and loss.
Taxi Driver
The most likely possibility, of course, is that Bickle continues on with his taxi driving ways. Maybe he meets a new prostitute he wants to help, maybe he starts crushing on another woman. Maybe there's a new twist... an illegitimate son, a friendly alien from outer space, an unusually talented homeless street artist. Whatever the circumstances are, two things are certain: Bickle is still angry and he still has a large collection of handguns.
Tags robert de niro
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