Robert De Niro is at war with Robert De Niro in trailer for new gangster thriller

Robert De Niro in The Alto Knights trailer
(Image credit: Warner Bros)

The first trailer for upcoming gangster thriller The Alto Knights is here and it looks like the king of mob movies Robert De Niro has met his most worthy opponent yet… himself.

The trailer, which you can watch below, opens with De Niro’s character Vito Genovese meeting fellow mob boss Frank Costello, also played by De Niro, in a restaurant as the two discuss Costello wanting to go straight. "You're either in or out," says Genovese. All of a sudden, Costello gets shot, presumably by Genovese, which prompts him to seek early retirement and an escape from mob life. But it doesn't look like Costello is going to let him do that.

The Alto Knights | Official Trailer - YouTube The Alto Knights | Official Trailer - YouTube
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Directed by Barry Levinson, the mob drama tells the story of rival Italian American mafia bosses Genovese and Costello (both played by De Niro) running two separate crime families in the ‘50s. The most interesting part is, unlike Tom Hardy’s dual roles in the 2015 movie Legend, De Niro’s characters are not related, they just happen to look the same. However, as we see in the trailer, the two have known each other since childhood.

The reaction to the trailer online has been mostly positive with fans happy to see De Niro doing what he does best, playing mobsters. "Another De Niro mobster movie? I’ll be seated," replied one fan to Warner Bros’ Twitter post, "Can't wait to see Robert De Niro back in action, this looks intense," said another. The star is best known in the genre for playing gangsters in movies such as Goodfellas, The Untouchables, The Godfather Part II, and more.

Written by Nicholas Pileggi, The Alto Knights also stars Debra Messing, Cosmo Jarvis, and The Sopranos star Kathrine Narducci.

The Alto Knights hits theaters on March 21, 2025. For more, check out our list of the greatest gangster movies, or keep up with upcoming movies heading your way in 2025.

Editorial Associate, 12DOVE

I am an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering TV and film for SFX and Total Film online. I have a Bachelors Degree in Media Production and Journalism and a Masters in Fashion Journalism from UAL. In the past I have written for local UK and US newspaper outlets such as the Portland Tribune and York Mix and worked in communications, before focusing on film and entertainment writing. I am a HUGE horror fan and in 2022 I created my very own single issue feminist horror magazine.  

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