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[Dan]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/robert-de-niro-replacing-james-636556

HBO is moving forward with the seven-part miniseries Criminal Justice, originally planned as a starring vehicle for the late James Gandolfini.

The network confirms to The Hollywood Reporter that Robert De Niro has stepped into the lead role, three months after Gandolfini's sudden death put the project in limbo. Gandolfini will stay on as executive producer, posthumously, and Steven Zaillian will direct the first hour.

Criminal Justice, a stateside adaptation of Peter Moffatt's 2008 BBC drama of the same name, was originally developed as a series at HBO. The network passed on the pilot in February, only to revive it as a limited series in May.

It is being produced by produced by HBO in association with BBC Worldwide Prods., Film Rites and Tribeca Films. The story follows Jack Stone (De Niro), an ambulance-chasing lawyer who becomes involved in a case defending a young man accused of murdering a girl on New York's Upper West Side. Riz Ahmed, Bill Camp, Payman Maadi and Poorna Jagannathan also star.

This is cool. De Niro is stepping in for this 7 episode series after Gandolfini passed away. Hopefully he puts some energy into it.

I had wondered if they might recast, but kinda figured they'd just shelve it after already struggling to get it made.

Deadline says it'll begin production in March, so maybe a fall 2014 premiere is possible.

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

Yeah this sounds like a role De Niro could use to jump-start his acting chops.

 

[Blader]

Yeah this sounds like a role De Niro could use to jump-start his acting chops.

That was my first thought/hope too.

He's still got it, if Silver Linings Playbook is any indication, just needs to motivate himself to bring it out.

 

[Ken Masters]

Bobby hasn't attempted to act in many years with the exception of Silver Lining, this could be very interesting

 

[Liquidsnake]

Bobby hasn't attempted to act in many years with the exception of Silver Lining, this could be very interesting

And it breaks my heart when I watch Goodfellas, Casino, Cape Fear, Raging Bull, on and on and on. I really felt and kind of still do that he was the greatest actor of our generation.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

Awesome. I'm glad they're moving forward with this.

Deadline says it'll begin production in March, so maybe a fall 2014 premiere is possible.

I bet it will be used to replace Treme next fall/winter.

 

[GusBus]

I don't think HBO will let DeNiro phone it in like he has in the last dozen shitty movies he's starred in (excluding SLP). Here's to hoping this turns out solid!

 

[Liquidsnake]

Off topic, but these two were gods to me.

 

[strafer]

De Niro hasn't made a good movie since Heat. Will give this a chance though.

 

[WonkyPanda]

De Niro hasn't made a good movie since Heat. Will give this a chance though.

SLP?

 

[SCULLIBUNDO]

And it breaks my heart when I watch Goodfellas, Casino, Cape Fear, Raging Bull, on and on and on. I really felt and kind of still do that he was the greatest actor of our generation.

You must be old for DeNiro to be part of your generation.

 

[Discotheque]

SLP?

Yeah that film was pretty good, although heat was his last great movie from what I've seen

And insider for Pacino. These guys need to hook up with mann again or something

Excited for this hbo series. Pacino always gives good performances when he's on hbo, I think it may be the same for Deniro

 

[Ken Masters]

And it breaks my heart when I watch Goodfellas, Casino, Cape Fear, Raging Bull, on and on and on. I really felt and kind of still do that he was the greatest actor of our generation.

Seriously, you just have to forget he had a career after Heat

 

[cj_iwakura]

De Niro hasn't made a good movie since Heat. Will give this a chance though.

Ronin?

 

[Liquidsnake]

You must be old for DeNiro to be part of your generation.

You know what I mean.

 

[GhostWriter24]

De Niro hasn't made a good movie since Heat.

DeNiro doesnt make the movies, champ.

 

[diggmcbadass]

Just makes me miss Gandolfini more.

 

[Alex Connolly]

Ronin?

What a great film.

 

[Sinatar]

Ronin?

Best spy movie ever.

 

[3N16MA]

You must be old for DeNiro to be part of your generation.

I don't know why I found this funny.

 

[Graphics Horse]

De Niro hasn't made a good movie since Heat.

The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle?

 

[Liquidsnake]

I liked the Score.

<<
>>

 

[Maninthemirror]

Off topic, but these two were gods to me.

I want a movie with these 2 and Bryan Cranston which is about 3 drug lords trying to control the southern US drug empire

 

[Acorn]

SLP proved that De Niro still has dramatic skills.

 

[Maninthemirror]

Seriously, you just have to forget he had a career after Heat

Ronin?
Analyze this?
Meet the Parents?
Silver linings playbook ?
The score ?

 

[Angry Grimace]

Yeah this sounds like a role De Niro could use to jump-start his acting chops.

I didn't even know he had any left. Last I saw he'd rapidly fallen into the Al Pacino hole where he just plays himself 100% of the time.

 

[Ricky_R]

Yeah that film was pretty good, although heat was his last great movie from what I've seen

And insider for Pacino. These guys need to hook up with mann again or something

Excited for this hbo series. Pacino always gives good performances when he's on hbo, I think it may be the same for Deniro

DeNiro was great in SLP and Pacino was also great in You don't know Jack.

0 out of 2.

 

[Caspel]

Ronin?
Analyze this?
Meet the Parents?
Silver linings playbook ?
The score ?

I agree with all of the aforementioned. He may not be the lead actor that Hollywood seeks out anymore, but he definitely can fill the supporting roles.

 

[Defyler]

I think DeNiro will be a good sub, but he doesn't really bring the same presence as Gandolfini. I'm sure HBO will amend some things to make it work though.

 

[demon]

I think DeNiro will be a good sub, but he doesn't really bring the same presence as Gandolfini. I'm sure HBO will amend some things to make it work though.

If De Niro could channel the talent he had in the first two decades of his career he could out-presence Gandolfini easily.

 

[cj_iwakura]

Best spy movie ever.

"So what was in the case?"
"I forget. That's the second thing they teach you."

 

[Decado]

Urgh. Another crime series. I wish HBO would go back to releasing more shows that take advantage of the visual talents and production values they bring to the table. So many of their recent shows since GoT look like they could be done on any network.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

So many of their recent shows since GoT look like they could be done on any network.

For example?

 

[Decado]

For example?

All of them (not that they are bad or anything, just not the type of shows I look to HBO for).

Family Tree
The Newsroom
Veep
Girls
Luck

 

[Dan]

Urgh. Another crime series. I wish HBO would go back to releasing more shows that take advantage of the visual talents and production values they bring to the table. So many of their recent shows since GoT look like they could be done on any network.

I think it's more of a legal thriller than a crime series.

Only HBO would have done Luck and that was gorgeous.

 

[HerbertFish]

I remember about 10 years ago EW did a list of the top ten blemishes on actors resumes.


Number 1 was Rocky and Bullwinkle for De Niro. The write-up was that he only had one mishap on his entire filmography but he deserved it because he's arguably the best actor ever and one cash-in wouldn't hurt.


How much has changed.

EDIT: Okay found the article. Actually published in early 2007: http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20008990,00.html

The 25 most shameless paycheck-grabbing roles in history:

1. Robert De Niro in The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle
(2000) He was the young Vito Corleone. He was Travis Bickle. He was Jake La Motta, Rupert Pupkin, and Al Capone. He's been nominated for six Oscars. He is our greatest living actor. No question, no room for debate. And yet, there is that one little aberration. Little? Who am I kidding? One huge-ass aberration called The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle &#8212; an insult so epic that he could spend the rest of his days going door-to-door with FTD bouquets, Whitman's Samplers, and personal mea culpas to every ticket buyer...and then, maybe then, we could forgive him for Fearless Leader, a performance so mind-bogglingly bad that it's almost avant-garde. Perhaps then we could erase the image of De Niro dressed in Nazi garb with a monocle, looking like Heinrich Himmler (for the record, Himmler wasn't funny). And we could forget the sight of De Niro getting jiggy with it (neither is this). And, worst of all, his ''You talkin' to me?'' bit, where you can actually witness a legend crapping all over his legacy. No, come to think of it, all of those acts of contrition still wouldn't be enough. There's really no excuse he could offer to heal our broken hearts.

 

[Nathan Muir]

De Niro hasn't made a good movie since Heat.

Have you actually seen all of the movies he's been in since Heat? Because he most definitely has contributed numerous fantastic performances.

 

[RatskyWatsky]

All of them (not that they are bad or anything, just not the type of shows I look to HBO for).

Eh, I disagree. I think all of those shows have pretty distinctive styles.

Family Tree, for example, looks distinctly like something Christopher Guest would make, and Luck was absolutely gorgeous and looked better than almost everything else on cable/network television.

 

[Mutanthands]

If De Niro could channel the talent he had in the first two decades of his career he could out-presence Gandolfini easily.

De Niro is 70 years old. It's hard to muster that sort of fire past 50, much less 70. People change. You approach changes.

I'm sure he still has the chops to bring something great, but it's not going to be the same.