In 1976, he participated in two films in the festival’s official selection: Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1900 and Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, which won the Palme d’Or
Actor and film producer Robert De Niro will be honoured with an honourary Palme d’Or for lifetime achievement at the opening ceremony of the 78th Festival de Cannes, the festival announced, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The two-time Oscar winner will be celebrated on May 13, marking 14 years after he served as President of the Cannes jury in 2011.
De Niro has a long and storied history at Cannes.
In 1976, he participated in two films in the festival’s official selection: Bernardo Bertolucci’s 1900 and Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, which won the Palme d’Or. In 1983, he opened the festival with Scorsese’s The King of Comedy, followed by Sergio Leone’s Once Upon a Time in America the next year. He returned in 1986 with Roland Joffe’s The Mission, marking his second Palme d’Or winner. Most recently, he appeared at Cannes in 2023 for Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon.
“I have such close feelings for Festival de Cannes,” De Niro said in a statement. “Especially now, when there’s so much in the world pulling us apart, Cannes brings us together—storytellers, filmmakers, fans, and friends. It’s like coming home,” he added, as reported by the outlet.
Alongside the honour, De Niro is set to star in the highly anticipated Netflix crime thriller The Whisper Man, an adaptation of Alex North’s bestselling novel. Directed by James Ashcroft, the film delves into the complex relationships between fathers and sons, framed within a chilling decades-old serial killer case, confirmed Deadline.
Set to begin production this spring on the East Coast, The Whisper Man follows a widow and crime writer whose 8-year-old son is abducted. Seeking help from his estranged father, a retired police detective, they uncover a shocking link to an old case involving a convicted killer known as “The Whisper Man.”
The screenplay is adapted by Ben Jacoby and Chase Palmer. Produced by the Russo brothers’ AGBO in collaboration with Netflix, the film marks De Niro’s continued partnership with the streamer, following The Irishman (2019) and the upcoming series Zero Day. Additionally, De Niro will star in Warner Bros.’ The Alto Knights, portraying dual roles.
De Niro will also participate in a special masterclass for attendees on May 14 at the Debussy Theatre. The 78th Cannes Film Festival will run from May 13 to May 24, 2025. (ANI)
