Scorsese And De Niro Plan New Project, Not ‘Taxi Driver’

Although Martin Scorsese and Robert De Niro have publicly started planning a new collaboration, the rumor that it will be a new-or-revisited-or-sequel-to “Taxi Driver” seems to be a case of mistranslation. 

A Danish magazine has reported that Scorsese and De Niro are planning to revisit “Taxi Driver” along with Danish director Lars von Trier, but all that’s been confirmed is Scorsese saying he plans to work with De Niro again: “There’s no doubt about that.  We’re working on something like that [a new gangster film], but it’s from the vantage point of older men looking back, none of this running around stuff.”

A Google translation of the original Danish article makes the whole tale much more confusing, reporting that the website Echo “learns that Trier and Scorsese to make film together.  Scorsese is required by our data re-recorded his great classic, ‘Taxi Driver’ (1976).  That he should do according to certain rules—called Obstructions—Lars von Trier as a draw.”

Fusedfilm.com may possibly have the answer to all the rumors, as the website reports, “Von Trier is reportedly challenging the filmmaker, Scorsese, to remake his 1976 film ‘Taxi Driver.’ According to ‘Variety,’ the idea behind the project is similar to the film ‘The Five Obstructions’ that von Trier and Danish helmer Jorgen Leth made in 2003.  In that film, von Trier challenged his colleague Leth to do a remake of his own 1967 film ‘The Perfect Human.’”

Well, that clears it all up, huh.