'The Alto Knights' — 7 Things You Need To Know About Robert De Niro's Return To the Gangster Genre (2025)

For many, a mafia movie is a staple of their viewing habits. Given the rich history of the genre within cinema, it is no surprise that there is a significant fanbase and one that has constant eyes on any new mafia releases. There have been many debates over the years about what the best mafia movie is, with everyone seemingly having an opinion. Answers range from Francis Ford Coppola's legendary The Godfather trilogy to the Academy Award-winning The Departed and much more. One answer that crops up time and time again is Martin Scorsese's Goodfellas. Even today, Goodfellas is one of the most widely celebrated films in all of cinema, with its magnificent reputation spawning several excellent and bad imitators.

That being said, some fans of the movie aren't aware of its impressive source material, the 1985 non-fiction book Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family by Nicholas Pileggi, who worked as a contributing writer on Goodfellas. A New York Times bestseller, the book has now acted as the direct inspiration for an entire movement in film, with the mafia movie genre changing considerably since its release. One of these direct inspirations is the upcoming Barry Levinson (Rain Man) movie The Alto Knights, previously titled Wise Guys. Promising to be one of the biggest mafia movies to release in recent years, those same diehard fans of Goodfellas and beyond will be salivating at the prospects of The Alto Knights, especially when they consider Robert De Niro's (Taxi Driver) heavy involvement on screen. So, with that in mind, here is everything we know about The Alto Knights.

7 Does 'The Alto Knights' Have a Release Date?

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Originally set to land on the big screen on February 2, 2024, The Alto Knights was then delayed until November 15, 2024, with that date then also postponed. The previous Alto Knights release date was, in fact, initially scheduled for a very different Warner Bros. venture in the shape of Toto, an animated spin-off of The Wizard of Oz, but due to unknown circumstances, this was altered. With the strikes hampering the movie's production, it has now finally been confirmed that The Alto Knights will be released in the US on March 21, 2025, joining the likes of a new Snow White reimagining and the hotly-anticipated Mickey 17 in theaters.

6 Will 'The Alto Knights' Be In Theaters?

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With Warner Bros. at the helm and with so much of their effort going into pushing this film, The Alto Knights will definitely be receiving a theatrical release on the aforementioned date. Following this, the movie is expected to receive a streaming release on Max, joining the platform's long list of tantalizing content.

5 What Is 'The Alto Knights Rated'?

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The Alto Knights has been rated R by the MPA for "violence and pervasive language."

4 Is There a Trailer for 'The Alto Knights'?

On January 14, 2025, the first trailer for Alto Knights was released and has the whole world talking. Showcasing De Niro in his double role — mob bosses Frank Costello and Vito Genovese — the trailer sets the tone for a classic mob movie with all the trimmings. The scene shown in the trailer shows both at a seemingly key turning point, with it quickly clear that, despite being played by the same person, these two characters are cut from different cloths. To find out when more promotional content for the movie is released, make sure to stay tuned to Collider.

3 What Is 'The Alto Knights' About?

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The original concept for The Alto Knights has been discussed and passed around by different Hollywood production companies since as early as the 1970s, with many significant players opting to turn down the project. It is incredible to think that it took until 2022 for the green light to be given on the film, especially when one considers its successful sister movies in the genre. The official plot synopsis of The Alto Knights reads as follows:

“The film follows two of New York’s most notorious organized crime bosses, Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, as they vie for control of the city’s streets. Once the best of friends, petty jealousies and a series of betrayals place them on a deadly collision course that will reshape the Mafia (and America) forever.”

2 Who Stars in 'The Alto Knights'?

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Robert De Niro

Vito Genovese and Frank Costello

Debra Messing

Bobbie Costello

Cosmo Jarvis

Vincent Gigante

Katherine Narducci

Anna Genovese

Michael Rispoli

TBA

Michael Adler

Senator Tobey

Ed Amatrudo

Rudolph Halley

Joe Bacino

Joe Profaci

Anthony J. Gallo

Tommy Lucchese

Wallace Langham

TBA

Louis Mustillo

Joe Bonanno

Frank Piccirillo

Richie Boiardo

Matt Servitto

George Wolf

Robert Uricola

Tony Bender

If you ask any mafia movie fan, they will likely tell you that a key ingredient to the success of the genre is the cast. These great mafia epics often recycle and share the same actors, which can sometimes make it feel like they all take place within the same cinematic universe. The wonderful Robert De Niro is one man in particular who has made an entire career out of movies within this genre. When one thinks of mafia movies, one thinks of De Niro and his incredible roles in Goodfellas, The Irishman, Casino, and many more.

However, the one thing these movies all share in common is that De Niro only plays one character. At the age of 81, De Niro is still innovating within the genre and, in The Alto Knights, will be playing two characters in both Vito Genovese and Frank Costello. Alongside De Niro are Debra Messing (Will and Grace) as Bobbie Costello, Kathrine Narducci (The Irishman) as Anna Genovese, Wallace Langham (CSI), Matt Servito (Billions) as George Wolf, Cosmo Jarvis (Shogun) as Vincent Gigante, and many more.

1 Who Is Making 'The Alto Knights'?

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The Alto Knights is being directed by Barry Levinson, who has a terrific filmography that includes the likes of Rain Man and Bugsy, with writing credits currently only going to Nicholas Pileggi, the aforementioned writer of the book that inspired both Goodfellas and this movie. Cinematographer Dante Spinotti has also applied his trade to the film, with his experience on the likes of Heat and L.A. Confidential certainly lending itself to this style of production. With all that being said, for fans of the mafia movie genre and beyond, The Alto Knights is one of the most unmissable films scheduled to release in early 2025.

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The Alto Knights

R

Crime

Drama

Release Date
April 21, 2025
Director
Barry Levinson
Cast
Robert De Niro, Debra Messing, Kathrine Narducci, Cosmo Jarvis, Belmont Cameli, Carrie Lazar, James Ciccone, Bob Glouberman, Ed Amatrudo

Runtime
120 Minutes

Character(s)
Vito Genovese / Frank Costello, Bobbie Costello, Anna Genovese, Vincent Gigante, Frankie Boy, LT. Trooper, Carlo Gambino, Victor Riesel, Rudolph Halley

Writers
Nicholas Pileggi
Producers
Irwin Winkler, Jason Sosnoff, Charles Winkler, David Winkler, Mike Drake, Barry Levinson
'The Alto Knights' — 7 Things You Need To Know About Robert De Niro's Return To the Gangster Genre (2025)
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