The star, who also directed the film, considers himself a Cold War fanatic. De Niro recently told IOL about his passion for the events and relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union. De Niro says, "I’m fascinated by the Cold War. Especially the Cold War in Berlin. As a kid, I was here a few times and went to East Berlin. I found the whole period amazing. It’s fascinating stuff. Everybody has a fascination with it."
Regarding a sequel, De Niro says,
"I’d love to do a second part, from 1961 when the Berlin Wall went up to 1989 when the Wall fell. And then I’d like to do a third part from 1989 to the present."
The Good Shepherd has earned an Oscar nomination in the category of best artistic direction. In addition to De Niro, the film also stars Matt Damon, Angelina Jolie and Alec Baldwin.