US Box Office: Robert De Niro’s The Alto Knights tracks for USD 3M–5M opening; Here’s why it’s struggling

Robert De Niro’s The Alto Knights is set for a weak USD 3M–5M opening, struggling against Snow White and facing marketing issues that have left audiences unaware of its release.

Written by Seema Sinha , Entertainment Journalist

Published on Mar 22, 2025 | 05:31 PM IST | 5.5K

Picture Courtesy: Warner Bros. Pictures

Robert De Niro’s latest film, The Alto Knights, has opened to disappointing numbers at the domestic box office amid competition from Disney’s Snow White. The biographical crime drama, directed by Barry Levinson from a screenplay by Nicholas Pileggi, marks another underperforming title in Warner Bros.’s resume for the year. The Alto Knights is tracking for a mere USD 3 to USD 5 million opening weekend—a disastrous start for a production that cost USD 50 million to make.

Set in the 1950s, The Alto Knights follows the intense power struggle between mafia bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, both portrayed by De Niro. The film, initially titled Wise Guys, had been in development since the 1970s before finally receiving a green light from the aforementioned studio in 2022. It features a supporting cast including Debra Messing, Cosmo Jarvis, Michael Rispoli, and Katherine Narducci.

The film’s dismal performance, with little potential for a turnaround, is being attributed to zero marketing by WB. No one except box office trackers seems to be aware of the film’s presence in theaters, as Disney completely dominated the promotional space, pushing its USD 250 million production.

Snow White, starring Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot, generated more buzz, albeit surrounded by controversy. The film is forecasted to bring in massive numbers, potentially in the range of USD 45 to USD 50 million. It also targets a wider demographic, appealing to family audiences, while The Alto Knights caters to niche-specific viewers.

A worrying trend in the industry emerges when analyzing the current box office situation: films like The Alto Knights often escape the intense scrutiny that blockbusters face. While major franchise films are frequently criticized even when they perform decently at the box office, smaller prestige projects tend to fly under the radar when they underperform. For example, Robert Pattinson's sci-fi title Mickey 17, also distributed by Warner Bros. is continuously being blasted for underdelivering despite making a respectable sum. However, The Alto Knights, with its much lower earnings, hasn’t sparked nearly as much discourse.

Are you giving The Alto Knights a shot this weekend or sticking to Snow White? Do let us know!