Robert De Niro is expected to play Enzo Ferrari in the cinema
A film about the life of Enzo Ferrari, scheduled for 2016, might see actor Robert De Niro take on the role of the "Commendatore," the founder of the Ferrari brand.
American actor Robert De Niro will don the costume of Enzo Ferrari in a biographical film about the founder of the legendary Italian brand.
Dying in 1988 at the age of 90, Ferrari was also the founder of the brand’s Formula 1 team, the famous Scuderia, which won 16 constructors’ titles and 15 drivers’ titles between 1961 and 2008.
At 71, De Niro, who received an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather II, where he portrayed the young Vito Corleone, and one for Best Actor for Martin Scorsese’s Raging Bull, where he played the legendary boxer Jake LaMotta, is keen to embark on this project more than any other: “For me, it is an honor and a joy to tell the life of an extraordinary man who revolutionized the world of automobiles through different historical and social periods, from fascism to democracy, from war to economic well-being,” he stated to the Italian newspaper Il Messaggero. “The film is set to begin production soon, mainly in Italy, and has top priority over all my other projects.”
« It’s a story based on creativity, courage, and intended to thrill audiences of all countries and all ages. I decided to embark on this adventure because it’s been a long time since I’ve come across such an exciting film project, » adds the actor.
The film, which will be co-produced by Triworld, owned by Gianni Bozzacchi, and TriBeCa, owned by Robert De Niro himself, is expected to cover a period from 1945 to the 1980s. The film will be called Ferrari and will be based on an epic story. It will have a large budget and cover a wide range of eras and episodes, explained Bozzacchi. Clint Eastwood is mentioned as the director: We presented the project to him and he said he was very interested, but before giving his answer he wants to read the script. On the script side, the duo of screenwriters Stephen J. Rivele and Christopher Wilkinson (mainly known for their work on Oliver Stone’s Nixon) could be associated with the project, which could come to fruition in 2016.
