Robert De Niro Unveils First Footage From Doc About Fatherhood and Says: ‘I Always Want There to Be Movies in Cinemas'
The discussion was moderated by the French visual artist JR, with whom De Niro is working on the film. 'We're kind of seeing where we're going,' the 81-year-old actor said about the project. 'I don't know where we'll go. There's no time limit, as far as I'm concerned. You just do it and wherever it arrives or winds up, that's OK.'
More from Variety
Cannes Film Market and Consumer Technology Assn. Launch CES Innovation Award
Spain's Big Shoot Scene Remains Resilient, Despite Global Headwinds
Spain Scores a Historic Cannes Competition Double
The clip featured stunning blown-up photos of De Niro's father, a painter who died in 1993, placed around New York City — including on a boat in the harbor — as well as an appearance by Martin Scorsese. Though many of De Niro's answers to JR's questions about the film were painfully short — even hostile — the teaser saw him opening up more about his own journey with fatherhood as well as his mortality.
'Ultimately, it would be something that only time can make it more special,' De Niro said in the teaser. 'It's not essential that I see the final thing.' When asked if he was afraid of death, De Niro said: 'I don't have a choice, so you might as well not be afraid of it.'
Picking back up on the topic during the conversation, De Niro said he wished to 'adjust' his answer a little. 'I'm afraid, but I don't have a choice,' he said. 'So if you know you don't have a choice, you might as well not be afraid of it. You just have to learn to embrace life, move forward and take everything good and bad.'
De Niro said he isn't sure exactly when the film will come out and that production may continue even after his death. 'So once I'm not even around, he's just going to be shooting on and on forever, asking me questions when I'm in my coffin,' he said of JR.
Beyond Scorsese, JR said Leonardo DiCaprio, who presented De Niro with his Cannes honorary Palme d'Or on Tuesday night, is also featured in the project. During the opening ceremony, DiCaprio said of De Niro: 'That's the thing about Bob: he doesn't say much, but when he does, it matters. Whether it's for his friends, his family, fighting for democracy or supporting the art of filmmaking — he shows up.'
De Niro then delivered a fiery speech railing against U.S. President Donald Trump, calling him a 'philistine president' and declaring him an enemy of the arts. 'In my country, we're fighting like hell for the democracy we once took for granted. And that affects all of us here because the arts are democratic,' De Niro said. 'Art is inclusive. It brings people together, like tonight. Art looks for truth, art embraces diversity and that's why art is a threat — that's why we are a threat — to autocrats and fascists.'
At a certain point in the talk on Wednesday, the audience grew antsy with the dynamic between De Niro and JR, with one audience member even yelling: 'Talk about cinema!' It was certainly a different atmosphere than during the opening ceremony, when De Niro then delivered a fiery speech railing against U.S. President Donald Trump, calling him a 'philistine president' and declaring him an enemy of the arts.
But De Niro got back into his groove when the conversation pivoted to audience questions, beginning with one about the current political turmoil around the world and how we found ourselves in this situation.
'People have to stand up for what's right because inherently we know what is right, and certain people are doing what's wrong,' he said. 'People really know what you have to do to do the right thing, and people who are not doing the right thing know they're not. And it has to bother them in some way.'
De Niro continued, 'The point is that people have to have the right to make decisions collectively together, and there are many people who don't believe in that. They don't want to give it up or even do the right thing — but I don't understand that because it would give them even more power if they did the right thing.'
He was also asked about the current state of cinema today, to which he replied: 'I don't even know if I have a theory on it at this point,' adding that all he knows is 'telling stories visually in film or whatever it is.' However, De Niro said he always 'wants there to be movies in cinemas like this, because there's a difference in having an experience in a theater than having one alone … Something about the tradition of being in a movie theater, experiencing whatever's being shown together, is just special. And you can't take that away from what it is.'
Best of Variety
New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week
Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gizmodo
2 hours ago
- Gizmodo
Guillermo del Toro Explains Why His Frankenstein's Monster Looks So Unique
Clearly, we're all very, very excited about Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein, which is coming to theaters on October 17 before arriving on Netflix on November 7. That's because it's del Toro, one of our most beloved filmmakers; his cast is incredible; and there has rarely been a better pairing of filmmaker and subject matter. One other thing has us hyped up too, and that's Frankenstein's monster. Del Toro loves a monster and, in a new interview, he talks about how he approached his monster differently, both visually and in his on-screen creation. 'Ever since I started drawing the creature in the late '70s and early '80s, I knew I didn't want symmetric scars and I didn't want sutures or clamps,' del Toro said to Variety. 'What I thought was very interesting was to make him like a jigsaw puzzle. I wanted him to look beautiful, like a newborn thing, because a lot of times, Frankenstein steps into the frame and he looks like an accident victim. But Victor is as much an artist as he is a surgeon, so the cuts had to make aesthetic sense. I always thought about him as made of alabaster. I never understood something about the other versions: why does Victor use so many pieces from so many bodies? Why doesn't he just resurrect a guy who had a heart attack? And the answer for me was, what if the bodies come from a battlefield? Then he needs to find a way to bring the corpses together in a harmonious way.' What does that all mean? We aren't quite sure, but it sounds absolutely fascinating. Equally fascinating is del Toro talking about his choice to actually show Dr. Frankenstein make the creature. 'Almost nobody shows the creation of the monster,' he said. 'Everybody shows thunder, and the monster is already put together. And I thought, if you are following a rock star, you want to shoot the concert. So instead of making it horrible that he is putting all these things together from bodies, I made it into a waltz. I made it into a joyous fun, sort of crazy concert. He's running around the lab, putting this body together, grabbing this part and placing it together here or there.' Look, if the image of Oscar Isaac in posh Victorian-era clothes dancing around a lab creating an alabaster monster out of dead bodies doesn't do it for you, why are you reading this website? Frankenstein will have 'the biggest theatrical release that Netflix gives its films,' according to del Toro, starting on October 17. It'll be in theaters for at least three weeks and, eventually, will even get a physical media release. But, for most people, they'll see it on Netflix starting November 7. Read more from the filmmaker about his love of the source material, his alternate plans for the movie, and more over at Variety. Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
French streamer dies live online after apparent extreme challenge
French police are investigating the death of a popular streamer, who died during a nearly 12-day live stream after apparently suffering abusive and humiliating treatment. Raphaël Graven, 46, known online as Jean Pormanove or JP, is one of the biggest streamers in France on the platform Kick and died on Monday. The 46-year-old military veteran had built a following numbering more than a million across different platforms streaming himself playing video games and had often appeared in extreme challenges. He had been collaborating since 2023 with several other streamers, principally Owen Cenazandotti, known as Naruto online, and Safine Hamadi, both of whom took part in his final livestream. Cenazandotti announced his death Monday on Instagram. In the video livestream that appeared to show his death, after he stopped moving, viewers donated money to send messages alerting the sleeping streamers to Pormanove's condition. The Nice prosecutor's office told CNN that an investigation has been opened into his death and an autopsy ordered. So far, authorities have not announced any charges related to Pormanove's death. In dozens of videos from past livestreams reviewed by CNN, Pormanove appears to be the target of jokes, bullying, physical attacks and degrading stunts. Videos from their joint livestreams show Pormanove's fellow streamers competing to see how long they could throttle him, others show him being shot with paintballs or doused with water. Thanks to donations from subscribers, the group earned money from the livestreams. In Pormanove's final livestream, a counter at the top of the screen suggested the group had earned some 36,000 euros ($42,000) from the days-long stream. Leaving a mark During Pormanove's final livestream, which appeared to run to nearly 300 hours, participants were woken up by the revving of a motorbike in their shared bedroom, or a leafblower. At one point, Pormanove appears to be woken up when a bucket of water is thrown over him. In an interview with CNN affiliate BFMTV, Yassin Sadouni, a lawyer for Cenazandotti, said Pormanove suffered from cardiovascular problems. In one video, Pormanove talked of having to take medication. In another, Cenazandotti purports to read out messages Pormanove sent to his mother in which he complains of being 'held prisoner' by his co-streamers. The game 'is going too far,' Cenazandotti said his message read, during Pormanove's last livestream. 'I feel like I'm being held prisoner by their sh***y concept,' Cenazandotti said Pormanove wrote. It's not clear who precisely Pormanove was referring to and in a later clip he tells Cenazandotti, 'you know what I'm like when I'm angry' in reference to the messages. In another clip, his mother berates Pormanove over the phone for letting the co-streamers shave off parts of his hair. 'Are you proud of your hair? Did you see what he did to you?' she said, 'They are treating you like s***.' Sadouni, Cenazandotti's lawyer, told BFMTV that Pormanove's mother participated in staged stunts with the streamers. A common theme in discussions with his co-streamers was Pormanove's wish to marry and have children, a hope that often drew apparently mockery from the streamers. In a video from 2024, Pormanove was asked how he hoped to be remembered when he died. 'No wife, no kids. But what a nice guy!' Pormanove said, 'Me, what's on my mind now, it's to leave a mark.' 'An absolute horror' Sadouni said Cenazandotti – known by his streamer handle Naruto – had nothing to do with Pormanove's death and said that the incidents targeting Pormanove were all staged. 'My client is ready to be heard and to provide all useful information,' he told CNN affiliate BFMTV Tuesday. Cenazandotti has also filed a complaint with authorities that he is being harassed online since Pormanove's death, according to Sadouni. CNN has reached out to Pormanove's mother and Hamadi for comment. Cenazandotti and Hamadi were briefly detained as part of a police investigation into the humiliation of vulnerable people in January 2025, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV. According to the Nice prosecutor, they denied committing any crime and have not been charged with any crime. 'The death of Jean Pormanove and the violence he endured are an absolute horror,' French Secretary of State for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs Clara Chappaz said in a post on X Tuesday. 'Jean Pormanove was humiliated and mistreated for months live on the Kick platform,' she added. Kick, the streaming platform the streamers used, said that all those involved in the broadcast had been banned 'pending the ongoing investigation,' which the site will cooperate with, per a statement to CNN Wednesday. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
French streamer dies live online after months of apparent abuse
French police are investigating the death of a popular streamer, who died during a nearly 12-day live stream after apparently suffering abusive and humiliating treatment. Raphaël Graven, 46, known online as Jean Pormanove or JP, is one of the biggest streamers in France on the platform Kick and died on Monday. The 46-year-old military veteran had built a following numbering more than a million across different platforms streaming himself playing video games and had often appeared in extreme challenges. He had been collaborating since 2023 with several other streamers, principally Owen Cenazandotti, known as Naruto online, and Safine Hamadi, both of whom took part in his final livestream. Cenazandotti announced his death Monday on Instagram. In the video livestream that appeared to show his death, after he stopped moving, viewers donated money to send messages alerting the sleeping streamers to Pormanove's condition. The Nice prosecutor's office told CNN that an investigation has been opened into his death and an autopsy ordered. So far, authorities have not announced any charges related to Pormanove's death. In dozens of videos from past livestreams reviewed by CNN, Pormanove appears to be the target of jokes, bullying, physical attacks and degrading stunts. Videos from their joint livestreams show Pormanove's fellow streamers competing to see how long they could throttle him, others show him being shot with paintballs or doused with water. Thanks to donations from subscribers, the group earned money from the livestreams. In Pormanove's final livestream, a counter at the top of the screen suggested the group had earned some 36,000 euros ($42,000) from the days-long stream. Leaving a mark During Pormanove's final livestream, which appeared to run to nearly 300 hours, participants were woken up by the revving of a motorbike in their shared bedroom, or a leafblower. At one point, Pormanove appears to be woken up when a bucket of water is thrown over him. In an interview with CNN affiliate BFMTV, Yassin Sadouni, a lawyer for Cenazandotti, said Pormanove suffered from cardiovascular problems. In one video, Pormanove talked of having to take medication. In another, Cenazandotti purports to read out messages Pormanove sent to his mother in which he complains of being 'held prisoner' by his co-streamers. The game 'is going too far,' Cenazandotti said his message read, during Pormanove's last livestream. 'I feel like I'm being held prisoner by their sh***y concept,' Cenazandotti said Pormanove wrote. It's not clear who precisely Pormanove was referring to and in a later clip he tells Cenazandotti, 'you know what I'm like when I'm angry' in reference to the messages. In another clip, his mother berates Pormanove over the phone for letting the co-streamers shave off parts of his hair. 'Are you proud of your hair? Did you see what he did to you?' she said, 'They are treating you like s***.' Sadouni, Cenazandotti's lawyer, told BFMTV that Pormanove's mother participated in staged stunts with the streamers. A common theme in discussions with his co-streamers was Pormanove's wish to marry and have children, a hope that often drew apparently mockery from the streamers. In a video from 2024, Pormanove was asked how he hoped to be remembered when he died. 'No wife, no kids. But what a nice guy!' Pormanove said, 'Me, what's on my mind now, it's to leave a mark.' 'An absolute horror' Sadouni said Cenazandotti – known by his streamer handle Naruto – had nothing to do with Pormanove's death and said that the incidents targeting Pormanove were all staged. 'My client is ready to be heard and to provide all useful information,' he told CNN affiliate BFMTV Tuesday. Cenazandotti has also filed a complaint with authorities that he is being harassed online since Pormanove's death, according to Sadouni. CNN has reached out to Pormanove's mother and Hamadi for comment. Cenazandotti and Hamadi were briefly detained as part of a police investigation into the humiliation of vulnerable people in January 2025, according to CNN affiliate BFMTV. According to the Nice prosecutor, they denied committing any crime and have not been charged with any crime. 'The death of Jean Pormanove and the violence he endured are an absolute horror,' French Secretary of State for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs Clara Chappaz said in a post on X Tuesday. 'Jean Pormanove was humiliated and mistreated for months live on the Kick platform,' she added. Kick, the streaming platform the streamers used, said that all those involved in the broadcast had been banned 'pending the ongoing investigation,' which the site will cooperate with, per a statement to CNN Wednesday.
