Robert De Niro’s ‘The Good Shepherd’ Was Intended as a Directing Comeback but Became His Last

Robert De Niro stands as one of the few actors whose filmography chronicles the evolution of modern American cinema. Over the decades, he has collaborated with some of the most renowned directors and co-founded TriBeCa Productions with Jane Rosenthal in 1989. In 2002, they also launched the Tribeca Film Festival.

While directing has always played a smaller role in his career, his first venture behind the camera was with 1993’s ‘A Bronx Tale’, a coming-of-age crime drama in which he also starred. Made on a $10 million budget, it received positive reviews, but De Niro returned to acting afterward.

It took him 13 years to step back into the director’s chair. ‘The Good Shepherd’, which premiered on December 22, 2006, follows Matt Damon’s Edward Wilson, a fictional counterintelligence officer, from 1939 to 1961 as the CIA evolves around him. Angelina Jolie portrays his wife, while De Niro plays General Bill Sullivan.

This film marked a significant increase in scale, with a reported budget of $80 million, compared to the $10 million for his debut. Eric Roth penned the screenplay, and the film runs for 167 minutes.

The project has a lengthy backstory, having been in development since 1994 at Francis Ford Coppola’s American Zoetrope, with Leonardo DiCaprio initially set to star. When DiCaprio departed due to ‘The Departed’, Damon took over. Morgan Creek eventually financed the film.

This history added to the pressure De Niro felt. According to Far Out, he described the experience as nerve-wracking, noting that while age brings confidence in some areas, it can also amplify worries in others, which he experienced daily during filming.

Upon its release, critics were divided. The Rotten Tomatoes consensus described it as ambitious and confidently directed, yet ultimately tedious and overly serious. Some reviewers praised Damon’s subdued performance and De Niro’s commitment to detail.

At the box office, the film debuted in fourth place with approximately $9.9 million, trailing behind ‘Night at the Museum’. It grossed around $100.3 million worldwide, which was roughly break-even against its budget, failing to become the major awards contender many anticipated.

De Niro reportedly had aspirations for a sequel. Paste Magazine mentioned that he envisioned a follow-up story about Wilson, although it’s unclear where the character could have gone next. That sequel never came to fruition, and the director’s chair has remained unoccupied since.

Instead, De Niro has continued his acting career. He portrayed Bernie Madoff in HBO’s ‘The Wizard of Lies’ in 2017 and returned to comedic roles in the ‘Meet the Parents’ sequels. A critic in 2015 even speculated whether ‘The Good Shepherd’ was his last attempt to create a film that aligned with his artistic sensibilities.

Two decades later, the film has garnered defenders. Paste argues that it stands as a political critique, while some viewers on Letterboxd commend its patient and subtle style. Others still find it slow, contributing to its ongoing discussion.

This situation illustrates how even legends grapple with self-doubt. De Niro’s reflections suggest that directing requires a level of confidence that acting does not. Whether he will ever return to directing remains uncertain, but his second film remains a captivating chapter in his career.

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