Alto Knights is an upcoming Hollywood film in the gangster crime genre. The film is written by Nicholas Pileggi and helmed by Barry Levinson. The Robert De Niro-led film is based on the lives of two Italian-American mobsters from the 1950s: Vito Genovese and Frank Costello.
Alto Knights has been one of the most anticipated films mainly due to De Niro’s involvement and the subject matter of its story. Recently, the makers announced the change in the release date of the film. If you want to know more about it, read on.
What Is Alto Knights All About?
Alto Knights tells the real-life story of gangsters Vito Genovese and Frank Costello who dominated the crime scene in the United States back in the 1950s. The story focuses on the time when Genovese ordered the murder of Costello.
Shots are fired at Costello but he manages to escape the attack. This instilled fear in him and forced him to retire from the world of the Mafia as he couldn’t afford to be at loggerheads with Genovese. Their feud is the crux of the film.
Alto Knights was in the making since the 1970s but was passed down by many studios for different reasons. It was earlier titled Wise Guys. Robert De Niro, the lead actor of the film, is one of the most popular and influential actors not just in Hollywood but worldwide. His involvement in the film takes it to a different level.
The interesting lives of both Genovese and Costello make them perfect for a silver-screen adaptation. Add to that the obsession with crime among makers and viewers make them a commercially sound choice as well. The proven track record of Berry Levinson makes sure that the story of both the mob bosses are in safe hands and viewers can expect authenticity mixed with a lot of drama.
Do We Have A Release Date?
Alto Knights was supposed to hit the big screens on February 2, 2024. It was again pushed to November 15, 2024. Because of the production delays due to the writer’s and actor’s strike in Hollywood that took place in 2023, the film could not meet its scheduled release date. In March 2024, it was announced that Alto Knights would be released on March 21, 2025.
This news has filled the fans with joy who have been waiting for it and were disappointed with the continuous push of its release. We might also expect Alto Knights to drop on HBO Max later on after its theatrical run comes to an end. All we can hope is that the makers stick to the new release date of Alto Knights.
Who Is In The Cast?
Robert De Niro plays the dual roles of both Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. Debra Messing is playing the role of Bobbie Costello who was married to Frank; Kathrine Narducci portrays Vito’s wife Anna Genovese. British actor Cosmo Jarvis will play Vincent Gigante who was the mob boss of the Genovese crime family in the later years.
Apart from them, the film also stars Carrie Lazar (as LT. Trooper), Louis Mustillo (Joe Bonanno), Jeffrey Grover (Judge Liebowitz), Belmont Cameli (Frankie Boy), James Ciccone (Carlo Gambino), Bob Glouberman (Victor Riesel), Ed Amatrudo (Rudolph Halley), John Dinello (Joe Barbara) and Jean Zarzour (Elsa Anastasia) among others.
Overall, Alto Knights has an interesting set of actors coming from different generations. All of them are playing author-backed roles that are based on real people.
Conclusion
Robert De Niro has done several acclaimed crime films in his long career like Heat, Godfather 2, Goodfellas, The Irishman, and Casino among others. This makes Alto Knights very special for fans of the actors and cinephiles. The film also marks the reunion of De Niro and Barry Levinson after HBO’s television series The Wizard of Lies.
De Niro is a veteran in the genre of crime thanks to his extensive body of work spanning multiple decades. Another plus point is that the legendary actor is playing dual roles in the film and is portraying two really well-known mob bosses.
Fans are now eagerly waiting for March 21, 2025, when they can finally see the film on the big screen in theatres.