(Updated 01/14/2025)
One of the great pleasures of a Robert De Niro movie is watching the actor play off against other talents. Now, the true-story mob movie THE ALTO KNIGHTS offers a new wrinkle on that classic appeal by pitting De Niro against one of the greatest actors of his generation: himself.
The movie is based upon an idea that has floated around Hollywood for decades. Now, it has been filmed with Robert De Niro in dual lead roles, playing mobsters whose grudge against one another explodes into violence. Here's the first trailer, and everything you need to know about THE ALTO KNIGHTS.
What's The Alto Knights Release Date?
Warner Bros. Pictures will release THE ALTO KNIGHTS in movie theaters on March 21, 2025.
Watch the First Trailer for The Alto Knights
THE ALTO KNIGHTS trailer is online now, and it doesn't waste any time setting the hook for this movie. The two characters played by Robert De Niro immediately sit down opposite one another. What follows is a wave of classic mobster movie buildup and violence.
What Is The Alto Knights About?
THE ALTO KNIGHTS is a true mob story. It follows two Italian American crime bosses in New York in the middle of the 20th Century. Vito Genovese and Frank Costello were both major mob figures. Genovese became part of organized crime in the 1920s, and ultimately helped consolidate the Mafia into a powerful organization. Costello was an associate of notorious mobster Lucky Luciano, and ultimately became the head of the Luciano crime family.
These two men did not like one another. Somewhere along their shared timeline is where the story of THE ALTO KNIGHTS begins.
Who's in the Cast of The Alto Knights?
Robert De Niro leads THE ALTO KNIGHTS cast as both Vito Genovese and Frank Costello. Based on the trailer, you can tell that makeup and other effects — in addition to a lot of good old-fashioned physical and vocal acting techniques — help differentiate the two characters.
Debra Messing co-stars as Bobbie Costello, Frank's wife, while Kathrine Narducci as Anna Genovese, Vito's wife. Cosmo Jarvis — so great in 2024's "Shogun" series — is in the movie as well, alongside Michael Rispoli ("Billions"), Michael Adler (PEPPERMINT), Ed Amatrudo ("Nashville"), Joe Bacino (KICK-ASS), Anthony J. Gallo (THE IRISHMAN), Wallace Langham (FORD V FERRARI), Louis Mustillo ("Mike & Molly"), Frank Piccirillo, Matt Servitto ("Billions") and Robert Uricola (RAGING BULL).
Who Directed The Alto Knights?
RAIN MAN director Barry Levinson is behind the camera for ALTO KNIGHTS. He's working from a script by one of the most famed mob movie writers around. That's Nicholas Pileggi, who wrote the book that was the basis for GOODFELLAS, not coincidentally also starring De Niro.
THE ALTO KNIGHTS opens on March 21, 2025.
All images courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.