"Alto Knights" is a box office failure in the U.S

Robert De Niro's new film, "Alto Knights," is struggling at the box office. The crime drama opened with only $3.2 million in the U.S., a significant disappointment for a major studio release. Globally, it has earned just $5.1 million against a production cost of over $45 million. Experts say the film is suffering because the mobster genre is not popular anymore. Critics gave it a low score of 37% on Rotten Tomatoes. Although audiences rated it a "B" grade, that is not enough to generate strong word-of-mouth support. David A. Gross, a film consultant, noted that crime stories like this have been out of fashion for years. Directed by Barry Levinson, "Alto Knights" features De Niro playing two roles. The film follows the lives of Frank Costello and Vito Genovese, two infamous New York mobsters. However, critics found the dual role confusing and distracting. Warner Bros. executives took a risk by giving this film a big budget. They hoped De Niro's name would attract audiences, given his history with successful mob films like "Goodfellas." However, the movie did not click with viewers. The target audience appears to be older men, particularly white males, with most moviegoers over the age of 25. Interestingly, many ticket sales came from Canada rather than the U.S. "Alto Knights" is the second box office failure for Warner Bros. in a row, following the film "Mickey 17." The studio is looking to rebound with upcoming releases like the “Minecraft Movie” and a new “Superman” film this year. Despite the failure, Levinson remains optimistic about working in the film industry. He acknowledges the challenges but appreciates the opportunity to tell interesting stories and work with talented actors.