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The 2025 Cannes Film Festival is kicking things off in true Hollywood royalty style. Legendary actor Robert De Niro is set to receive the honorary Palme d’Or, the festival’s top lifetime achievement award—and honestly, it’s about time!
De Niro, whose career has basically shaped modern cinema, is being celebrated for a body of work that includes iconic films like The Godfather Part II, Taxi Driver, Raging Bull, and more recently, Killers of the Flower Moon.
Adding even more star power to the moment? None other than Leonardo DiCaprio will be presenting the award to De Niro himself at the festival’s opening ceremony. Talk about a cinematic full-circle moment!
The two have shared a bond that goes way back to 1993’s This Boy’s Life and have continued to work together, including on their most recent project—Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon in 2023. Seeing them reunite on stage at Cannes is bound to be one of those goosebump moments for film lovers.
In a heartfelt statement, De Niro reflected on his connection to the festival, saying,
“I have such close feelings for Festival de Cannes. Especially now when there’s so much in the world pulling us apart, Cannes brings us together—storytellers, filmmakers, fans, and friends. It’s like coming home.”
The Cannes team echoed the love, calling De Niro a “cinematic legend” whose work has influenced generations.
After the tribute, the festival will roll into a splashy screening of Leave One Day, a musical comedy directed by Amelie Bonnin. It’s expected to kick things off on a fun, vibrant note.
With massive names like De Niro and DiCaprio headlining the opening night, Cannes 2025 is already shaping up to be one for the books.