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The Alto Knights: a $50M mob film that grossed $9.6M
Warner Bros.' $50M Robert De Niro mob film The Alto Knights grossed $9.6M, part of a $110M combined write-down with Mickey 17.
Warner Bros. Pictures · 2025-03-21
What happened
The Alto Knights, a mob drama directed by Barry Levinson starring Robert De Niro in dual roles, was produced by Warner Bros. on a budget reported at $45–50 million. It was released on March 21, 2025.
The film grossed just $9.6 million worldwide, and Variety reported that The Alto Knights together with Bong Joon-ho's Mickey 17 would set the studio back at least $110 million in losses.
The failure landed amid a run of Warner Bros. flops that left the studio 'hurting' as its slate 'crashed and burned,' with the De Niro double-role gambit failing to draw any audience to theaters.
Why it happened
- Warner Bros. spent $45–50M on a Barry Levinson mob drama built around Robert De Niro playing two mob bosses, betting doubled star wattage would draw a crowd.
- The film opened soft and grossed just $9.6M worldwide, drawing almost no audience to theaters.
- Against the $50M budget, the $9.6M gross helped push Warner Bros. to at least $110M in combined losses with Mickey 17, one of a string of high-profile flops.
The lesson
Two De Niros are not two reasons to go: Warner Bros. spent $50M on The Alto Knights and it grossed $9.6M — a beloved actor in double does not replace a story the audience wants to see.
Sources
- Wikipedia — The Alto Knights
- Variety — Mike De Luca and Pam Abdy Under Fire at Warner Bros. Amid Box Office Flops (at least $110M combined loss)
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