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“The Alto Knights,” a crime thriller starring dueling Robert De Niros, made moviegoers an offer they easily refused.

The Warner Bros. film was D.O.A. over the weekend with $3.2 million at the domestic box office, one of the worst-ever starts for a major studio release. “The Alto Knights” also cratered overseas, earning $1.8 million for a bleak worldwide tally of $5.1 million. With a price tag above $45 million before marketing is taken into account, “The Alto Knights” is already one of the year’s biggest misfires.

Box office watchers, however, aren’t exactly scratching their heads to figure out what went wrong. They believe “The Alto Knights” hails from a genre — mobster movies — that’s been sleeping with the fishes for decades. Then critics rebuked the film, which landed a poor 37% on Rotten Tomatoes. Audiences, at least the few people who checked the film out, were kinder, giving it a “B” grade on CinemaScore exit polls.

Actor and producer Tom Cruise is to receive the British Film Institute’s highest honour, the BFI Fellowship.

The Fellowship will be presented to Cruise at the BFI Chair’s Dinner in London on May 12, hosted by BFI Chair Jay Hunt.

The actor will also participate in an in-conversation at the BFI Southbank on May 11 while a month-long programme of his repertoire will play at both the Southbank and BFI Imax.

“I am truly honoured by this acknowledgement,” Cruise said.

“I’ve been making films in the UK for over 40 years and have no plans to stop. The UK is...

If the digital de-ageing of the holy trinity of Robert De Niro, Al Pacino and Joe Pesci in Martin Scorsese’s The Irishman was a bit distracting at times, get a load of double De Niro in Barry Levinson’s long-gestating The Alto Knights. Demonstrating that when it comes to the greats you can never have too much of a good thing, De Niro plays both leading roles: that of don Frank Costello on the verge of a quiet retirement, and his hot-headed childhood friend and drug baron Vito Genovese, with whom he’s forced to go toe-to-toe.

Based on a true story of mob warfare and penned by GoodFellas screenwriter Nicholas Pileggi, the film has been in the works since the 1970s and was finally greenlit in 2022. Watching the early sequences certainly gives one a sense of déjà vu: the film opens in media res in 1957 with an act of violence,...

The problem with calling a movie “bad” is that some people, myself included, will only want to see it more. It’s fun to hear about a good movie. It’s boring to hear about a mediocre one. But a film that’s so punishing you can physically feel it? Now that’s fascinating. Truly terrible movies are like the puzzle box from “Hellraiser,” offering pain and pleasure, indivisibly. Only by experiencing both extremes can some lifelong moviegoers truly feel alive.

So let me be absolutely, 100% clear: “The Alto Knights” is indeed a bad movie, but not the good kind. It doesn’t make you feel alive, it makes you feel dead. It’s a tedious, directionless, bumbling chore of a gangster picture, incoherently written and edited, featuring two of the limpest performances of Robert De Niro’s career.

Oh yes, you read that right. De Niro plays two different...

Will “Snow White” be the fairest of them all at the box office?

Disney’s live-action remake of the 1937 animated classic is targeting $45 million to $55 million from 4,200 North American theaters in its opening weekend. Internationally, the film is estimated to collect $50 million for a global start above $100 million. Those ticket sales will easily be enough to lead the domestic box office, which is coming off the worst weekend of 2025 as Paramount’s action comedy “Novocaine” topped charts with just $8.7 million.

Based on projections, “Snow White” won’t reach the initial box office heights of prior Disney live-action remakes, including 2023’s “The Little Mermaid” ($95 million opening weekend), 2016’s “Jungle Book” ($103 million) and a trio of billion-dollar smashes, 2019’s “The Lion King” ($191 million) and “Aladdin” ($91 million), 2017’s “Beauty and the Beast” ($174 million). Instead, “Snow White” is tracking a similar start to 2019’s “Dumbo,” which took off with $45 million, only to stall out at $353 million,...

Ever since he directed Robert Redford to one of his richest, most compelling performances in “The Natural,” Barry Levinson has had a knack for bringing out the best in iconic movie stars. Warren Beatty (“Bugsy”), Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, and Michael Douglas and Demi Moore (“Disclosure”), among many others, have done some of their finest work for Levinson in movies that capitalize on their strengths but provide opportunities to deepen and broaden their personas.

Even in this company, the relationship between Levinson and Robert De Niro is special. Since they first worked together on “Sleepers” in 1996, Levinson and De Niro have created a series of indelible characters, from the spin doctor of “Wag the Dog” and the beleaguered producer of “What Just Happened?” to real-life fraudster Bernie Madoff in “The Wizard of Lies.” These were all just a warm-up, however, for Levinson and De Niro’s latest collaboration “The Alto Knights...

Tom Cruise is out here playing checkers while everyone else is playing – well, whatever Hollywood’s version of 4D chess is. The Mission: Impossible star was spotted hanging out with Ana de Armas again, but insiders say his real focus is on a different A-lister: Demi Moore.

Tom Cruise as in Mission Impossible – Fallout | Credits: Cruise/Wagner Productions

While fans wonder if Cruise and de Armas are cooking up a project, reports suggest he’s more interested in winning over Moore.

Tom Cruise’s power play: Spotted with Ana de Armas, but his real move is on Demi Moore Ana de Armas in a still from No Time to Die | Credits: MGM and Universal Pictures

Tom Cruise was spotted with Ana de Armas for the second time in London, but insiders say his real focus is on Demi Moore. Reports claim Cruise sees Moore as the key to reclaiming his Hollywood status,...

It’s difficult to pigeonhole Barry Levinson – something the Oscar-winning director is acutely aware of and is quick to point out. Though, it is true. Take, for instance, his new film, The Alto Knights, a mob movie starring Robert De Niroas both real-life mobsters Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. This is Levinson’s second mob movie – his other being the 1991 Best Picture nominee Bugsy – but no one in their right mind would think of Levinson as “a director who makes mob movies.” It’s actually remarkable that person who made Rain Man is the same director who, six years later, made Disclosure.

Tom Cruise reached a milestone early in his career with 1992's A Few Good Men. The acclaimed legal drama added another genre to his impressive range of films.

Tubi is streaming 1992's A Few Good Men for free this April. This legal drama had a stacked ensemble led by Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, Demi Moore, Kiefer Sutherland, J.T. Walsh, and Kevin Bacon. The film was a box office hit, grossing $243 million against a $40 million budget. It also set a benchmark for the genre with its tense narrative and pacing, and the entire cast's performance was gripping. Released after Rain Man, Born on the Fourth of July, and Far and Away, A Few Good Men also showcased Cruise's serious acting. It's also a breakout film for Demi Moore, who up to that point was known for romantic dramas and rom-coms.

Moore played Jag attorney Lieutenant Commander Joanne Galloway, superior...

Except for John Williams, it's hard for a film composer to reach household name status, but it's safe to proclaim that Hans Zimmerhas successfully done so. After being a steady film composer in the 1980s and 1990s, working on films from a variety of genres, including Rain Man, True Romance, The Lion King, The Thin Red Line, and Gladiator, Zimmer ostensibly became the soundtrack for the archetypal modern blockbusters thanks to his work on most of Christopher Nolan's films, notably The Dark Knight trilogy, and revolutionizing the art of film scores for Denis Villeneuve's Duneseries. Someone of his caliber could have elevated the longest-running franchise of the last 20 years — the Marvel Cinematic Universe — into something more epic, but he has his eyes set elsewhere. To be completely honest, I don't blame him, as even he has outshined the scope of the MCU.

European film studio Hope Studios, led by Fredrik Wikström Nicastro, the veteran producer behind Sony’s hit Tom Hanks movie “A Man Called Otto,” is setting up a feature adaptation of Robin Sharma’s “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari,” the bestselling book about a life-changing journey.

Based on Sharma’s own search for life’s true purpose, “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” tells the story of Julian Mantle, a lawyer forced to confront the personal crisis of his out-of-balance life after a tragedy – and his transformational journey through India. Translated into 70 languages, the book has sold over 10 million copies since being first published in 1999.

The project is the latest high profile IP tackled by Hope Studios, the banner launched in November 2023 by Wikström Nicastro who spent 18 years at the Nordic powerhouse Sf Studios and became one of its pillars, producing more than 20 movies. During his tenure at the banner,...

Here’s How Tom Cruise Contributed To The Idea Of International Movie Premieres (Photo Credit – Instagram)

Tom Cruise changed Hollywood marketing forever. The actor was the first to promote international red carpet premieres, turning movie promotion into a global spectacle. Cruise told Jimmy Kimmel (as reported by ABC News) that before Top Gun, Cruise, and other A-listers traveled for movie promotions.

Instead of big red carpets, they did long global tours. Tom Cruise visited Italy, Paris, and Japan, sometimes staying for weeks and even months. He loved it since he always wanted to travel. But Cruise said he saw a faster way. While promoting Top Gun in Paris in 1986, the Hollywood star realized the process was too slow.

Martin Scorsese was back in the U.S. editing The Color of Money. Rain Man was still in its early drafts. And Tom Cruise? He was just waiting. That’s when he has his lightbulb moment.

War movies concerning the Vietnam War encompass the specific traits that make them easily distinguishable from other films within the war genre. The majority of Golden Era war movies, which heavily depicted World War II, feature propagandistic angles and hero-worshipping sentiments that reflected the nation's attitudes at the time. While World War II movies may dominate the genre, there are plenty of stunning films about the Vietnam War, from the unconventional Good Morning, Vietnam to the landmark Apocalypse Now.

Vietnam War movies are more reflective of the counter-culture era, containing anti-establishment views, addressing the psychological effects war has on soldiers, and preaching anti-war themes. Internationally, countries such as Hong Kong have produced important works about the Vietnam War that provide an added perspective toward fully understanding the implications of the conflict worldwide. Some of the best movies about the Vietnam War rank among cinema's greatest war films, and many publications...

With a career in film composing that has lasted more than 40 years, Hans Zimmer has run the gamut. Despite having a distinct sound that often makes you recognize it as a Zimmer, the man’s work has range: Rain Man, The Lion King, Pirates of the Caribbean, Gladiator, Dune…But there are two franchises that Zimmer will absolutely never work within: the MCU and Star Wars.

Appearing on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Hans Zimmer said that while he has been approached by Marvel, he had a couple of conflicts. “They have, and it was always…timing wasn’t great. And really, quite honestly, I’m looking for other things right now. Look, I’ve done the trifecta — I’ve done Batman, Superman, and Spider-Man, and Wonder Woman! I mean, what do you want me to do, some of the minor characters?” He added, “That was very arrogant of me to say that,...

German composer Hans Zimmer began his career playing keyboards for various New Wave bands around Europe. He played with Krakatoa in his native Germany, with The Buggles (of "Video Killed the Radio Star" fame) in England, with Krisma in Italy, and with Mecano in Spain. In the early '80s, he started to produce pop singles as well, overseeing "History of the World, Part 1" for the punk band The Damned. About the same time, he started to write commercial jingles and TV theme tunes, effectively giving him an "in" into film-scoring work. His first film as a composer was 1982's "Moonlighting," one of Jerzy Skolimowski's movies. 

For there, Zimmer's output increased exponentially, and he brought his unique, sweeping sensibilities (but with a pinch of New Wave) to over 20 features. He scored Stephen Frears' "My Beautiful Laundrette," (soon to be remade) and Bernard Rose's underrated "Paperhouse." In 1988, he...

It’s said that all of the greatest movie stars can make the camera fall in love with them. But something else that the camera is undoubtedly besotted by is the casino. There’s something about these places that make them a natural for filmmakers, in fact there are plenty of things.

Firstly, they’re uniquely glamorous locations that are also full of action. From spinning roulette wheels to slots games flashing enticingly, they make for a great background to the action. Then there’s the drama of the games themselves. We see characters winning and losing fortunes on the turn of a card thus reversing their role in the movie.

The fact that conflict lies at the heart of all drama also makes them a great place for adversaries to face off against each other. Nowhere is this better exemplified than in the first of out audacious moves.

Casino Royale...

Earning his second Best Actor Oscar 22 years after his first, Adrien Brody entered the history books as the first leading actor to win two statuettes on his first two attempts on Sunday.

He won for his role as an ingenious, haunted architect in Brady Corbet’s epic, following his win in 2003 for Roman Polanski’s biographical World War II drama “The Pianist.”

And by wining Best Actor on Sunday, Brody not only made history but also preserved his place among Oscar milestones. Had 29-year-old Timothée Chalamet won in the category for “A Complete Unknown,” he would have become the youngest Best Actor victor ever, beating Brody’s own record from 2003.

Brody is the 11th leading actor to win twice in the top category.

“Acting is a very fragile profession,” Brody opened his acceptance speech. “It looks very glamorous, and certain moments it is, but the one thing that I’ve...

Conan O'Brien has been tapped as the host of the 97th Academy Awards, and while O'Brien is a consummate performer and comedian and he's hosted other awards shows like the Emmys, this will be his first go-round at the Oscars. Naturally, with almost 100 past ceremonies, many of them being broadcast on network television and seen by millions across the world, there are plenty of preferences audiences may have about what he should do while on stage. Should he do a riff a la Billy Crystal and insert himself into the scenes of some of this year's big contenders? Should he playfully mock the people in the audience in the hopes of roasting them just spicily enough? Or perhaps he'll do a musical number? 

O'Brien may not be seen as a singer first, but he has performed songs live, such as when he showed up in a live performance celebrating "The Simpsons" at the Hollywood Bowl,...

When you're one of the greatest directors in film history, letting go of a project becomes a common occurrence. This was one of the challenges that Steven Spielberg faced when, after much deliberation, he had to set aside "Rain Man" in favor of another major project in the works. The 1988 movie starring Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise is regarded as one of the finest films in both of their careers — one to which Spielberg dedicated a considerable amount of time before passing it on to another filmmaker. While Barry Levinson was telling the story of Charlie Babbitt (Cruise) reuniting with his estranged and autistic brother, Raymond (Hoffman), Steven Spielberg was off on another whirlwind adventure with one of cinema's most beloved heroes, who this time was bringing his dad.

Chronicled in Brent Notbohm and Lester D. Friedman's "Steven Spielberg: Interviews, Revised and Updated," the Oscar-winning director explained why he had...

Lynne Marie Stewart, the actress known for roles in Pee-wee’s Playhouse and It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, has died. She was 78.

Elvira star Cassandra Peterson was one of several to pay tribute to the actress Friday on Instagram after coming up together at The Groundlings in Los Angeles and appearing in Elvira: Mistress of the Dark (1988) and The Elvira Show (1993) together.

“My heart is breaking upon hearing the news of my dear friend @lynnestewart78 Lynne Stewart’s passing,” wrote Peterson on Instagram. “One of the kindest, sweetest, funniest women who ever lived. The iconic Miss Yvonne of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: She’ll always be ‘the most beautiful woman in Puppetland.'”

Born Dec. 14, 1946 in L.A., Stewart was a member of The Groundlings in the ’70s, where she met Peterson, Paul Reubens and Phil Hartman.

Stewart was most known and beloved for playing Miss Yvonne and other roles in Reubens’ Pee-wee franchise,...

Lynne Marie Stewart, best known for her role as Miss Yvonne in Pee-wee's Playhouse and other projects featuring Paul Reubens' Pee-wee Herman, has passed away. She was 78 years old.

The news of Stewart's passing was announced by Cassandra Peterson, better known by her Elvira persona, in a post on Instagram. Peterson, who was friends with Stewart, shared an image with the caption noting, "My heart is breaking upon hearing the news of my dear friend Lynne Stewart’s passing. One of the kindest, sweetest, funniest women who ever lived. The iconic Miss Yvonne of Pee-wee’s Playhouse: She’ll always be 'the most beautiful woman in Puppetland.'”

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Elvira, Mistress Of The Dark (@therealelvira)

Stewart appeared in Peterson's 1988 film, Elvira: Mistress of the Dark, and she'd later reunite with Peterson for The Elvira Show in 1993. In the image posted, Peterson and...

Hans Zimmer’s 2016 Live In Prague show is now getting a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray physical media release. More here.

The week we learn that the work of Hans Zimmer is getting a cinema outing to itself, one of his sold out concerts is confirmed for the 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray format.

Hans Zimmer: Live In Prague is already available on Blu-ray, but Eagle Rock has now put a 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray physical media release up for pre-order.

It’s set to land on 21st March 2025, and you can find more information, and order yourself a copy, right here.

Update: This has now been delayed to 18th July 2025.

This is a concert that was shot in 2016, and as such you’re not going to be getting anything from, say, Dune or Tenet in there. What you will get are pieces of music from the likes of The Dark Knight trilogy,...

Tom Cruise is returning to the theaters with Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning in just a couple of months. One of the most successful franchises in Hollywood, the story of Cruise’s movie has spanned almost 30 years now.

Tom Cruise in Rain Man | Credits: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

The first movie came out in 1996 to grand commercial success, and as such fans have been elated at the franchise’s continuation so far. For that matter, many have predicted that Cruise’s character Ethan Hunt’s story will go on till his ripe old age.

Interestingly, though, that might not be the case after all. In a recent interview, Tom Cruise as well as the movie’s director Christopher McQuarrie talked about their plans for the future of the franchise. From the sounds of it, this might truly be The Final Reckoning for it at last.

Tom Cruise seemingly hinted at Mission: Impossible – The...

Robert De Niro is heading back to Netflix. The Oscar-winning actor is set to star in a new crime thriller for the streaming service.

According to Deadline, De Niro will headline Netflix and Agbo's upcoming adaptation of Alex North's 2019 New York Times bestselling novel, The Whisper Man, which revolves around "a widow crime writer who, after his 8-year-old son is abducted, looks to his estranged father, a retired former police detective, for help, only to discover a connection with the decades-old case of a convicted serial killer known as 'The Whisper Man.'" James Ashcroft (Coming Home in the Dark) has been tapped to direct the movie while Ben Jacoby (The First Omen) and Chase Palmer (It) have been tasked with adapting the novel for the big screen.

RelatedNetflix Reveals First Look at New Historical Series From Game of Thrones Creators

Netflix reveals a first look at...

Robert De Niro won his second Oscar in 1981 for playing a boxing champ in Raging Bull. And now he has been chosen as the acting champ when it comes to Academy Awards.

His performance for the Martin Scorsese film from 1980 has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Actor winner ever, according to a Gold Derby ballot cast by 21 of our film experts, critics, and editors, who ranked all 97 male leading actors.

Anthony Hopkins finished second for The Silence of the Lambs (1991), with Marlon Brando following in third for The Godfather (1972). Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood (2007), and Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) rounded out the top five.

At the bottom of the list of the Best Actor winners is Warner Baxter for In Old Arizona (1928). George Arliss in Disraeli (1929), Lionel Barrymore for A Free Soul (1930), Paul Lukas for Watch on the Rhine (1942), and Paul Muni for The Story of Louis Pasteur...

Robert De Niro won his second Oscar in 1981 for playing a boxing champ in Raging Bull. And now he has been chosen as the champ of all actors.

His performance for the Martin Scorsese film from 1980 has been voted the greatest Oscar Best Actor winner ever, according to a Gold Derby ballot cast by 21 of our film experts, critics, and editors, who ranked all 97 male leading actors.

Anthony Hopkins ranked second for The Silence of the Lambs (1991), with Marlon Brando following in third for The Godfather (1972). Daniel Day-Lewis for There Will Be Blood (2007), and Gregory Peck for To Kill a Mockingbird (1961) rounded out the top five.

At the bottom of the list of the Best Actor winners is Warner Baxter for In Old Arizona (1928). Just above that film performance in the rankings are George Arliss in Disraeli (1929), Lionel Barrymore for A Free Soul (1930), Paul Lukas for Watch on the Rhine...

Bucks County, USA, directed and produced by Robert May (Kids for Cash) and Barry Levinson follows a pair of teenage girls, best friends with opposing political views, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, one of the swingiest counties in a crucial swing state. The series, part of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s Episodics section, follows the political battles in the county through the perspective of its young protagonists. Below, Bucks County, USA DPs Antonio Rossi and Ben Bloodwell talk about what drew them to such a political project, matching two different cameras in post, and overcoming the […]

The post “I Don’t Know if We Knew Exactly Where It Would Take Us”: DPs Antonio Rossi and Ben Bloodwell on Bucks County, USA first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

Bucks County, USA, directed and produced by Robert May (Kids for Cash) and Barry Levinson follows a pair of teenage girls, best friends with opposing political views, in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, one of the swingiest counties in a crucial swing state. The series, part of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival’s Episodics section, follows the political battles in the county through the perspective of its young protagonists. Below, Bucks County, USA DPs Antonio Rossi and Ben Bloodwell talk about what drew them to such a political project, matching two different cameras in post, and overcoming the […]

The post “I Don’t Know if We Knew Exactly Where It Would Take Us”: DPs Antonio Rossi and Ben Bloodwell on Bucks County, USA first appeared on Filmmaker Magazine.

You guys really seem to be digging on Michael Crichton huh? Well let’s look at what almost stopped his adaptations from happening. After a heck of a run from his adaptations both good and mediocre, Sphere would be a big enough bomb that it would follow with two straight sub-par adaptations before a quiet death of his worked being put on the big screen. The movie should have been a no doubt success with stars like Dustin Hoffman, Sam Jackson, Sharon Stone and a more than capable, Oscar winning, director in Barry Levinson. What we would end up with is one of the biggest bombs of the late 90s and a movie that is derided or outright forgotten from the annals of 90s cinema. Was it the cast, the story, or the general public being over Chricton things that didn’t have dinosaurs in it that was the culprit.

Tom Cruise, undoubtedly, continues to be one of the biggest enigmas in Hollywood. Arguably the biggest action star and one of the leading lights in Hollywood, the actor has given us some truly wonderful projects.

Yet, he remains without an Academy Award. The same has been brought to light by Léa Seydoux, star of James Bond’s Spectre and No Time to Die. Seydoux, while appearing on Konbini, expressed her admiration for Cruise’s diverse talent and lamented his lack of recognition from the Oscars.

Seydoux was all praise for Cruise’s versatility Tom Cruise as Frank Tj Mackey in Magnolia [Credit: New Line Cinema]

While exploring a video store in France, Seydoux selected Brian De Palma’s Mission: Impossible as one of her favorite films, marveling at Tom Cruise’s ability to excel in both action-packed roles and nuanced dramas.

She remarked:

To do something as subtle as Eyes Wide Shut...

Tom Cruise was nominated for four Oscars and three of the nods were for his acting performances. It is sad to see his losing streak at the Academy Awards, especially since he bagged the Golden Globes for these three roles.

There were also a couple of other performances from the actor that truly deserved all the recognition in the world.

Tom Cruise as Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder | Credits: DreamWorks/Paramount Pictures

There was an accusation that Cruise was intentionally pushed out of the competition one time. Fans hope that his upcoming project with Alejandro G. Iñárritu will finally break his losing streak. Iñárritu had a hand in Leonardo DiCaprio’s first Oscar win after he was snubbed of the award for years.

5. Born on the Fourth of July (1989)

Oliver Stone, who is often associated with controversial films centered around American politics, directed this masterpiece starring Tom Cruise. The Jack...

Gold Derby has been handicapping the 2025 Oscars since July, and each of the 23 categories has cycled through several frontrunners in the intervening months. However, some of our favorite movies, performers, and artisans are currently on the outside looking in, according to the most recent odds. Here are all of the on-the-bubble Oscar contenders we’re rooting for when the nominations are announced on Thursday morning. Agree or disagree with our passion picks? Be sure to sound off down in the comments section or in our movie forums.

September 5 in Best Picture

The best magicians make it look easy, and that’s the indelible strength of September 5. Yes, it’s deceptively simple: a historical narrative played out over the course of 90 minutes on essentially just one set. Yet that’s exactly what makes the film so noteworthy. Without overblown flourishes or bombastic performances, director Tim Fehlbaum seamlessly blends archival historical footage into painstaking,...

Robert De Niro's new film The Alto Knights is based on a real-life rivalry between two of America's most notorious gangsters, Frank Costello and Vito Genovese. The Alto Knights is directed by Barry Levinson, the Academy Award-winning director of Rain Man (1988), The Natural (1984), Sleepers (1996), and Good Morning, Vietnam (1987). Levinson and De Niro last teamed up for the 2017 HBO original film The Wizard of Lies in which De Niro portrayed white-collar criminal Bernie Madoff.

The Alto Knights is set to be released on March 21, 2025. De Niro will play not one, but two, different Italian mob bosses in the film who are based on real-life mafia rivals, Vito Genovese and Frank Costello. Jack Nicholson previously portrayed Frank Costello in Scorsese's Academy Award-winning film The Departed (2006), but drew inspiration from Joseph "Whitey" Bulger Jr., the infamous Irish mob boss out of Boston. De Niro will be joined by Cosmo Jarvis, whose...

Over this illustrious career, Robert De Niro has done it all in the true-crime genre. From playing a gangster in Martin Scorsese's seminal classic Goodfellas to starring in the 10-time Oscar-nominated film The Irishman, De Niro is no stranger to committing crime on-screen in the mid-1900s. And he's not stopping anytime soon. Barry Levinson, the Academy Award-winning director of Rain Man, is tackling The Alto Knights, an upcoming thriller that stars De Niro as two different real-life crime bosses. Yes, it's a De Niro vs. De Niro affair.

After accidentally releasing the trailer yesterday, Warner Bros. Pictures officially unveiled the first footage for The Alto Knights. The trailer features De Niro playing Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, two dueling mob bosses at the peak of organized crime in New York. Not only does De Niro pull off two different voices and accents for the roles, but he undergoes...

Robert De Niro has played some of the most (in)famous gangsters in movie history. Vito Corleone in The Godfather Part II, Al Capone in The Untouchables, James Conway in Goodfellas, Sam 'Ace' Rothstein in Casino... the list goes on. And after his monumental turn as Frank Sheeran in The Irishman, a movie many felt was a farewell to the mob movie genre from those who'd made its greatest hits, you'd be forgiven for thinking De Niro was done playing wise guys. Enter Barry Levinson. Enter Goodfellas scribe Nicholas Pileggi. Enter Alto Knights. Not only is De Niro back on the organised crime beat in the Rain Man filmmaker's dramatisation of the feud between crime family heads Vito Genovese and Frank Costello in 50s America — he's playing both of the mobsters himself! Yes, the time of Robert Deux Niro is nigh... and you can check out the first trailer for...

Robert De Niro is reuniting with his “Goodfellas” screenwriter Nick Pileggi for yet another true story of the Italian-American mafia.

De Niro in the first trailer for “The Alto Knights” portrays not one but two real-life mob bosses, Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, during their turf rivalry in the 1950s. “Once the best of friends, petty jealousies and a series of betrayals place them on a deadly collision course that will reshape the Mafia (and America) forever,” the official synopsis for the film reads.

“The Sopranos” and “The Wire” producer Barry Levinson (“Rain Man”) directs the film; Levinson previously collaborated with De Niro on the HBO TV movie “The Wizard of Lies” (2017) and political satire film “Wag the Dog” (1997).

The trailer shows De Niro going face to face with himself, with Costello and Genovese sitting across from each other as they threaten about going down a “very dangerous road.” Frank...

Warner Bros. is finally ready for the world to see The Alto Knights. The first trailer has just dropped for the long-delayed biographical crime movie about Italian-American mob bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, both of whom will be played by Robert De Niro.

Unlike the 2015 biopic Legend, which saw Tom Hardy in the dual role of English gangster twins Reggie and Ron Kray, Genovese and Costello are not twins, nor are they related, making De Niro's casting as both somewhat of a stunt casting. Announced under the title Wise Guys, Warner Bros. had originally set a February 2024 release for the movie. However, in November 2023, the studio retitled Wise Guys to Alto Knights — the name of a popular mob club in New York City's Little Italy district and one of the haunts that Genovese often frequented with his lieutenants — and delayed the movie to November 2024. This release date stuck...

Known for performing some of the most extreme stunts in his movies, Tom Cruise also shines as an actor when it comes to tackling complex roles. Whether it is Joel Goodsen in Risky Business, Charlie Babbitt in Rain Man, or his Oscar-nominated performances as Frank T.J. Mackey in Magnolia, Cruise has consistently delivered unforgettable portrayals.

A still from Magnolia | Credit: New Line Cinema

The latter, which featured him as a self-help guru peddling toxic masculinity, has been considered one of the best performances of his career. However, while critics praised his fearless dive into the character’s vulnerability, the Oscars failed to recognize it as the groundbreaking work it was.

Today, with the rise of similar controversial figures like Andrew Tate, holding significant influence, and reportedly a bid for political power, Cruise’s Oscar snub feels more like a missed opportunity to grapple with the troubling archetype, as it...

Barry Levinson is not a name one would usually associate with the horror genre. The Academy Award-winning director — best known for "Rain Man," "Wag the Dog," and "Diner" — has mostly leaned toward satirical comedies or tense drama-thrillers throughout his career. While prepping for a documentary about the pollution plaguing the Chesapeake Bay in 2012, Levinson decided to forego the project in favor of a found-footage eco-horror that would mix fact with fiction to disturbing effect. This endeavor was "The Bay," a mockumentary-style exploration of a contagion premise that feels almost prescient within the context of our post-pandemic world. Despite being the director's sole foray into horror, Levinson re-invigorates the found-footage subgenre by injecting it with one of the most primal fears accompanying a pandemic: the callous cruelty of wilful inaction.

It is worth noting that Levinson incorporated the scientific research for the abandoned Chesapeake documentary into the film's narrative framework, and...

Michael Mann is one of the most under-discussed directors of the last forty years, a master of digital cinema who deserves more recognition than he gets. From his excellent first film, the fantastic neo-noir heist movie Thief, to his critically acclaimed biographical dramas like Ali, Public Enemies and Ferarri, Mann has a versatile career that spans several genres over several decades.

But Mann's best work came from his short run of action films, starting with the now classic cops and robbers thriller Heat and culminating in the big-screen adaptation of the hit 1980s television series Miami Vice. Sandwiched in between those two films is arguably Mann's best work: Collateral. Collateral is a masterful action movie that combines a fantastic Tom Cruise performance and many of Mann's best talents into one film. There's gorgeous cinematography, fantastically surprising performances and a quiet undercurrent theme about the emptiness of cities and what a...

Tom Cruise is a major box office star, thanks in large part to the success of the Mission: Impossible movies, and the action franchise has broken the same box office record multiple times for its star. Cruise began a nearly 30 year run as Ethan Hunt back in 1996 after already establishing himself as a growing box office draw. Top Gun and Rain Man were pivotal films in that regard, as they set records as being Tom Cruise's highest-grossing movies upon their respective releases in 1986 and 1988.

Tom Cruise currently has Top Gun: Maverick to thank for giving him his highest-grossing film, as it was the first of his projects to make over $1 billion worldwide. This happened even though the Mission: Impossible franchise has consistently performed for the star over the last few decades. As he gears up for what could be his final time playing Ethan Hunt, there are various box office...

Brendan Fraser's foray into the world of Looney Tunes is heading to a whole new streaming home.

Per Tubi, 2003's Looney Tunes: Back in Action will officially join the streaming platform's catalog on January 1. This marks just the latest addition to the Tubi library on the same day and the first chance fans have had in quite some time to tune in to the film without a paid subscription.

Related 56-Year-Old Sci-Fi Cult Classic Gets New Streaming Home Ahead of Sydney Sweeney's Reboot

One of the most polarizing science-fiction epics of the 1960s is headed to a new streaming home before it gets the big-budget reboot treatment.

Directed by industry icon Joe Dante from a script by Larry Doyle, Looney Tunes: Back in Action starred Fraser as Damian "D.J." Drake Jr., a Warner Bros. lot security guard and aspiring stuntman who loses his job after a disastrous...

Image Source: Sony Pictures By 1992, Tom Cruise was the king of Hollywood. After stealing hearts in Rain Man and earning his first Oscar nomination for Born on the Fourth of July, Cruise was unstoppable. Then came A Few Good Men. Playing Daniel Kaffee, a cocky yet brilliant military lawyer, Cruise soared to new heights. Add Jack Nicholson as his onscreen adversary—how could we forget “You can’t handle the truth!”—and the result was iconic. At the time of the film’s release, Cruise shared how he approached the role of Kaffee, balancing the character’s charm, ambition, and growth through the story. It’s a performance that still resonates today, proving why this courtroom classic earned Four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. (Click on the media bar below to hear Tom Cruise.) https://www.hollywoodoutbreak.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Tom_Cruise_A_Few_Good_Men_-1.mp3

Feel like...

The critically acclaimed sci-fi action film Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, is set to find a new streaming home.

Starting Jan. 1, 2025, subscribers on Prime Video can experience this high-octane, time-loop adventure that has become one of the most celebrated action films of the past decade. Directed by Doug Liman, known for Matt Damon's The Bourne Identity, the film stands out as a unique sci-fi action classic, combining a cleverly executed time-loop narrative, meticulously choreographed battle sequences, and standout performances from Cruise and Blunt to create an intense and engaging cinematic experience.

Related Landman Star Billy Bob Thornton Reveals the Major Marvel and Tom Cruise Franchise Roles He Rejected

Billy Bob Thornton could have been part of two major movie franchises, but chose not to.

Tom Cruise: A Blockbuster Legend

Cruise remains one of the most enduring and bankable stars in Hollywood, with a career spanning four decades.

Tom Cruise skipping the Oscars felt like the ultimate mic drop. Back in the day, Cruise delivered a knockout performance that had critics buzzing and fans raving, comparing him to legends like Dustin Hoffman. But when it came time for the Academy to give credit where it was due, they completely fumbled the ball.

Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise in Rain Man (1988) | Credits: Star Partners II, Ltd.

Cruise had every right to feel overlooked, and his absence from Hollywood’s biggest night makes perfect sense. After all, why show up for an industry that didn’t show up for him?

When the Academy overlooked Tom Cruise: A snub too big to ignore Dustin Hoffman and Tom Cruise in Rain Man (1988) | Credits: Star Partners II, Ltd.

Tom Cruise gave a career-defining performance in Rain Man, effortlessly holding his own alongside Dustin Hoffman’s Oscar-winning turn. Although Hoffman’s portrayal of an autistic savant earned universal praise,...

Of the many films that Tom Cruise has filmed over the years in Hollywood, the Stanley Kubrick thriller Eyes Wide Shut has to be one of the weirdest experiences of his life. Considering it’s Cruise we are talking about, the poster boy of action films, the wildly erotic thriller did not fall under his usual foray into artsy blockbusters.

Eyes Wide Shut [Credit: Warner Bros.]

Despite the subject matter and the plot of the movie, Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman left an indelible mark with the 1999 film that also proved to be the final masterpiece of Kubrick’s lifetime. The creative endeavor that connected Cruise, Kidman, and Kubrick in a once-in-a-lifetime experience, however, also went against everything that the action star would go on to represent some time into the future.

Tom Cruise sacrifices his core identity for one film Eyes Wide Shut [Credit: Warner Bros.]

It is not always Tom Cruise who gets to choose his missions.

He kicked off his career with the 1982 British drama Moonlighting but didn't become a household name until he received his first Oscar nomination for his breakout film, 1988's Rain Man. From there, Hans Zimmer has only gotten better and better. The two-time Oscar winner scores multiple movies every year, staying consistently exceptional each time and delivering some of the best and most iconic movie scores in history.

American actor and producer Tom Cruise, standing at 5ft 7 ¾ (172.1 cm), is best known for being one of the highest-paying actors in the world, with an estimated net worth of $600 million.

On July 10, 2021, in London, England, on day 12 of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships held at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club, Pom Klementieff (L), standing at 5ft 6 ¾ (169.5 cm), Tom Cruise (C) at 5ft 7 ¾ (172.1 cm), and his then-girlfriend Hayley Atwell at 5ft 6 (167.6 cm) were in attendance (Credit: Mega / WENN)

While Cruise has stood proud with his vast array of awards and recognition, including nominations for three Academy Awards, a British Academy Film Award, and three Golden Globe Awards, this well-known Hollywood star has still magnetized attention, focusing on his apparent lack of height.

The Real Height of Tom Cruise Revealed

Despite being commonly listed as 5’7″, Tom Cruise is reported to stand at 5ft 7 ¾ (172.1 cm). Interestingly, in the 1980s, he was...

The 1980s marked an exceptional era of filmmaking. The decade saw the emergence of multiple iconic franchises that gave rise to several beloved characters that continue to captivate viewers across the globe. Films made during this time are magnetically influential; so much so that even four decades later, they are quoted and referenced in conversations and on social media platforms. This era of cinema, successful both critically and commercially, has become an integrated part of modern culture. Movies being made now strive to match the standard set by movies made in this decade.

Explore the the golden era of cinema with this ranking of the 10 highest-grossing films from that time; based on their reception and cultural impact.

10. Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (1984) Harrison Ford in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | Credits: Universal Pictures

Box Office Collection: $333 million

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom was the...

Tom Cruise has delivered some of the best dramatic acting throughout his extensive Hollywood career. The action movie star made a name for himself with films like Rain Man, Magnolia, Eyes Wide Shut, Jerry Maguire, and Vanilla Sky before becoming nearly synonymous with action, stunt work, and the Mission: Impossible franchise. But of all his films, Born on the Fourth of July stands out as a rare gem.

Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men [Credit: Columbia Pictures, New Line Cinema]

Despite his penchant for delivering constant box office hits, Cruise invited controversy with some of his more prominent films like Valkyrie and Interview With the Vampire. In the case of Born on the Fourth of July, however, it was not the film’s stance on the subject of war itself but Cruise’s acting that captivated the audience and caused sensationalism.

Tom Cruise Does Right By Born on the Fourth...