De Niro prepares for CIA project

Hollywood star Robert De Niro has visited the Dominican Republic in preparation for a new movie about the CIA, which he will direct and star in. De Niro toured capital Santo Domingo's historic area, filed for permits and met with President Leonel Fernandez. Deputy Foreign Minister Alejandra Liriano said De Niro's paperwork for filming The Good Shepherd was in order. The Good Shepherd tells the history of the CIA. De Niro plays James Wilson, one of the agency's founders. The film also stars Matt Damon who plays Wilson as a younger man. Angelina Jolie plays Wilson's wife. The landscapes of the Dominican Republic, in the West Indies, will be used for scenes that are supposed to take place in Central America and Cuba. De Niro will return to the country in December to begin work and the movie is due for release some time in 2006. [photo: Kevin Mazur - WireImage.com - taken 9/27/2004 at at the New York premiere of Shark Tale]