Tribeca Studios and Mercer Labs have teamed up on an immersive film installation that puts you inside scenes from Robert De Niro’s most iconic movies.
New York is entering another Robert De Niro era, only this time, his world isn’t on a screen, it’s all around you. Mercer Labs, Lower Manhattan’s Museum of Art and Technology, just opened De Niro, New York as part of its Summer Nights series with Tribeca. Billed as a first-of-its-kind immersive film installation, it invites you to step inside the actor’s storied career in a way that’s both nostalgic and new.
Originally conceived as a tribute for De Niro’s 80th birthday at the 2024 Tribeca Festival, De Niro, New York splices together scenes from over 40 films into a 20-minute journey. Picture Taxi Driver’s mohawk giving way to a glitzy Goodfellas club scene, all projected in 360° around you. Produced by Tribeca Studios, the film features a new score and spatial audio so that every famous line and footstep reverberates around you.
For Mercer Labs, this project marks a new frontier. Over two dozen projectors, floor-to-ceiling screens, and a 360° soundscape immerse you in moving images. The result is a cinematic whirlwind—one moment you’re looking up at a 20-foot-tall De Niro, then you’re spinning around to catch another classic scene behind you. It’s unlike any movie night you’ve had.
Beyond the technical wizardry, De Niro, New York is a love letter to New York City. A lifelong New Yorker and co-founder of the Tribeca Festival, De Niro helped revive downtown post-9/11, and that spirit carries through as the installation draws people back downtown for an only-in-New-York night.
“De Niro, New York” runs through July 13 at Mercer Labs (21 Dey Street, Lower Manhattan). Showings take place Thursday through Sunday evenings, 7–11 pm. Tickets cost $70 (including a drink and Tribeca souvenir) and are available via the Mercer Labs website or at the museum’s box office.
