The upcoming Robert De Niro mob movie Wise Guys has a new release date, and a new title. Now called Alto Knights, the film will be released on November 15, 2024. The Hollywood Reporter reports that the Barry Levinson-directed project will be pushed several months back from its original release date of February 2, 2024, all the way to the cusp of the 2024 holiday season. It also has a new title; formerly Wise Guys, the film is now Alto Knights.

The new name is derived from the Alto Knights Social Club, a club in New York’s Little Italy that was a frequent hangout for the Mafia. The film will center around the rivalry between New York mob bosses Frank Costello and Vito Genovese in the 1940s and 50s. In an unusual casting gambit, De Niro will play both feuding mobsters in a dual role. Debra Messing and Kathrine Narducci will play Costello and Genovese’s respective wives.

Who Were Frank Costello and Vito Genovese?

Frank Costello and Vito Genovese were both underlings of legendary New York gangster Charlie “Lucky” Luciano. When Luciano was sent to jail, Genovese ruled his syndicate in his stead – only to flee to Italy to avoid prosecution, leaving Costello to take over. Genovese eventually returned, and the two men jockeyed for control of the New York Mafia for years. Eventually, in 1957, Genovese ordered a hit on Costello; Costello escaped with a minor wound, but retired from organized crime afterward, ceding control of the city to Genovese. However, Genovese’s victory was short-lived; in 1959, he was convicted on drug charges and sent to prison, where he died ten years later.

Alto Knights will be released in theaters on November 15, 2024.

via Collider