Robert De Niro Faces Robert De Niro in Trailer for Barry Levinson Gangster Movie Alto Knights

Robert De Niro has played some of the most (in)famous gangsters in film history. Enter Vito Corleone The Godfather Part IIAl Capone in The UntouchablesJames Conway in GoodfellasSam ‘Ace’ Rothstein i Casino… the list goes on. And after his monumental turn as Frank Sheeran in The Irishmana film many felt was a farewell to the mob movie genre from those who had made its biggest hits, you’d be forgiven for thinking De Niro was done playing smart guys. Enter Barry Levinson. Enter Goodfellas writes Nicholas Pileggi. Enter Alt knights. Not only is De Niro back on the organized crime beat i Rainman the filmmaker’s dramatization of the feud between crime family bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello in 1950s America – he plays both mobsters himself! Yes, the time for Robert Deux Niro is coming… and you can watch the first trailer for the film below:

As for trailers, Alt knights‘ has pretty much everything you could have hoped for. Smooth cars. Smoking gun. Cross and double cross. Thick Italian-American accents. And most importantly, Robert De Niro walking into a bar, meeting Robert De Niro, and then the deux De Niros talking shop as former brothers-in-arms Genovese and Costello’s strained friendship heads toward the epochal moment when Vito ordered a hit on Frank in 1957. Far from being a mere gimmick, the two Bobs in Levinson’s film seem intended to enhance a rich exploration of the dualism inherent in those who has lived, worked and died in the American mafia. In the form of Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, you have a fascinating real-life embodiment of the constant tension between loyalty and duty, brotherhood and rivalry, the concept of honor and the realities of power that lie at the heart of the criminal underworld. And yes, getting two Robert De Niros for the price of one is pretty cool too, we can’t deny that.

Here’s the brief synopsis for Levinson’s previously titled film Smart guys:”Alt knights follows two of New York’s most notorious organized crime bosses, Frank Costello (De Niro) and Vito Genovese (De Niro), as they battle for control of the city’s streets. Once the best of friends, petty jealousies and a series of betrayals set them on a deadly collision course that will reshape the Mafia (and America) forever.” Joining De Niro and, uh, De Niro for this one, among the ensemble cast is Debra Brass, Cosmo Jarvis and Kathrine Narducci.

Alt knights is due to hit cinemas in the UK and Ireland on March 21. Now there’s an offer we can’t refuse.