Digitally De-Aged Robert De Niro in 'The Irishman' Is Getting Mixed Reactions

The movie isn't set to hit Netflix until Nov. 27, but will be available in select theaters on Nov. 1.

September 25, 2019

Robert De Niro — Image via Getty/Jesse Grant
Getty

Martin Scorsese's The Irishman cost a whole lot of money, and not just because of the caliber of talent involved.

The budget was estimated to be somewhere north of $140 million last year, making it one of the director's most expensive efforts yet. The primary reason behind the high budget, however, is due to the extensive de-aging visual effects employed to make Robert De Niro appear younger during certain parts in the film.

Before Jimmy Fallon debuts the new trailer for Scorsese's Netflix film on Wednesday evening, the official Twitter account has given viewers an idea of what to expect. Set over the course of 25 years, The Irishman will follow De Niro's Frank Sheeran throughout a multitude of time periods. The first trailer offered a hint of the lengths visual artists went to make De Niro look younger, but the latest tease shows an even younger version of the legendary actor.

Some have reacted to the image of the youngest instance of De Niro's character negatively, comparing it to a video game and FaceApp. Others said that it "looks fine" and have even called it "impressive CGI" while some used the images as an opportunity to highlight the running time of the film, which is three and a half hours long.

Check out reactions below.

The de-aged De Niro has since become a meme on film Twitter, comparing either screenshots of actors throughout their career or actors who could conceivably be older versions of younger people.