De Niro’s New Movie: A Favor From the Studio Boss?

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Warner Brothers appears to be constantly re-evaluating and adjusting their projects. The completed Batgirl movie has been put on hold, and Coyote vs. Acme, a live-action blend of Looney Tunes with reality, was also shelved, though Ketchup Entertainment may release it in the future. Furthermore, all Looney Tunes cartoons have been taken off from Max streaming platform. These actions suggest that Warner Brothers is focusing more on movies with high box office potential, shifting away from some existing projects.

Upcoming attractions include a diverse lineup of highly anticipated films:

1. The action-packed “F1” featuring Brad Pitt, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer.
2. “One Battle After Another”, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Sean Penn.
3. A prequel to the “Oceans” series, titled “Oceans’ Origin”, introducing Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling as Danny Ocean’s parents.
4. “The Alto Knights”, a gripping mob movie headlined by the legendary Robert De Niro, portraying two characters. This film is directed by Barry Levinson and written by Nicholas Pileggi, both in their 80s and 90s respectively, under Warner Brothers’ production. In this movie, De Niro steps into the shoes of both Vito Genovese and Frank Costello.

Where Did ‘The Alto Knights’ Come From?

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The movie titled “The Alto Knights” revolves around Costello’s struggle to survive following an unsuccessful initial attack by Genovese. However, at present, the film doesn’t seem to be in line with WB’s strategy for big-name success, as it made $3 million on its opening weekend compared to a budget of $45 million. Metacritic has given it a score of 48. Was this movie always part of the new strategy, or was it more about old connections and favoritism?

Based on an investigation by Puck, a media platform that delves into the four influential power centers in the U.S., it appears that the mafia tale on the big screen may be interwoven with the enigmatic history of Warner Brothers. As stated by writer Matthew Belloni (who cites a New York Times article as his source, though it’s behind a paywall), the story of The Alto Knights has been circulating since the mid-70s. The tale becomes increasingly complex as we move forward to the 2020s.

The claim suggests that David Zaslav managed to convince Michael De Luca, the chairperson of WB Entertainment, to approve the production of a certain movie. It’s worth noting that this persuasion didn’t seem to be influenced by De Niro’s successful box office performances or Pileggi’s recent writing accomplishments. In fact, before the production of this movie in 2022, De Niro had more flops than hits under his belt, and Pileggi hadn’t written anything significant since 2012. Similarly, at that time, Levinson hadn’t directed a major film since 2015. So, one might wonder: how did this movie reach completion while many other projects were scrapped?

David Zaslav Had a Hand in ‘The Alto Knights’ Release

It turns out that Irwin Winkler, one of the original producers for “The Alto Knights,” casually mentioned the completed script to Zaslav because they are good friends, living near each other in Hampton homes. Despite Toby Emmerich, the then-WB chairman, expressing his dislike for the project, stating that it was too expensive and wouldn’t merit a theater release, Zaslav ultimately had the final say, and “The Alto Knights” eventually went ahead.

Initially known as Wise Guys, the film’s backstory hints at a mafia-like atmosphere. Despite Michael De Luca and Pamela Abdy replacing Emmerich (who stepped down in June 2022), it appears that the boss’ preferred project continues to be produced, regardless of any controversial or aging elements lurking behind the scenes. Intriguingly, the Puck writer also suggests that Zaslav is referred to as the “mayor” of the Hamptons, implying a significant influence of this seaside resort on Hollywood operations.

Despite Robert De Niro’s latest film, “The Alto Knights,” drawing comparisons to yesteryear’s moneymakers in the entertainment industry (referencing films like Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt) – a similar concern remains valid today. One might wonder, what direction is Warner Brothers heading if it keeps relying on nostalgia and past personas for popular franchises? As time has shown, it’s the more fantastical movies that dominate nowadays. Let’s hope “The Alto Knights” becomes a blockbuster success for WB, but there are whispers suggesting favoritism played a significant role in its production. This alleged bias is casting an ominous shadow even over a faltering film empire where losses occur daily. Currently, Robert De Niro’s The Alto Knights is showing in cinemas across the nation.

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2025-03-24 05:47