Taxi Driver screenwriter Paul Schrader responds to the rumors of star Robert De Niro appearing as the film’s main character in upcoming Uber U.K. commercials. The 77-year-old writing legend condemned the star of the 1976 Martin Scorsese drama after sharing a post that claims that De Niro would reprise his role as Travis Bickle, where he would recite his famous Taxi Driver ad-libbed line.
Schrader took to his Facebook page to share his dismay over the rumor that De Niro would return to the famed world of Taxi Driver.
Why Bob would do this is beyond my reckoning. But I haven’t seen it. If I’m lucky I never will.
However, The Hollywood Reporter, reports that a rep for De Niro has denied said reprisal in response to the comments by Schrader and others. While De Niro will appear in ads for Uber U.K., it will not be as Bickle.
Taxi Driver’s Influence Over The Past 50 Years
The gritty drama of Taxi Driver and the Travis Bickle character continues to resonate and inspire nearly a half-century since the 4-time Academy Award-nominated film’s release in 1976. This is due in large part to the story that Schrader presents in the film; one loaded with secrets and indescribable turns. The character of Bickle is one that cannot be quite pinned down in one viewing. It is Bickle’s journey that leaves viewers debating the choices made in those turns. Taxi Driver‘s ending is so perplexing that Schrader himself felt the need to weigh in on it years later.
The movie also proved to be a stellar vehicle for De Niro, who (despite being an Academy Award winner a year prior) was relatively new to the film world. Taxi Driver set sail on his immaculate voyage as an unconventional, if mistrustful, leading man. The same can also be said for 14-year-old Jodie Foster, who amassed a stellar film career after the film’s release. Scorsese also solidified his place as a household name for his direction.
Taxi Driver has inspired many films over the years, from Jackie Brown to The Batman. It is easy to understand the film’s writer and audience’s demand to leave well enough alone and not tarnish the legacy of the movie by having De Niro return as Bickle.
