‘The Alto Knights’ Director Barry Levinson Talks Dueling Robert De Niros, Creating Perfect Shots in ‘The Natural’ and Coaching Movie Stars to Great Performances
variety.comThe Alto Knights” feels like a film from a bygone era. Written by Nicholas Pileggi (“Goodfellas”) and starring Robert De Niro in two equally juicy roles, Warner Bros.’ latest release harkens back to the days before superheroes and wall-to-wall spectacle (though it does utilize some state-of-the-art special effects to allow De Niro to play opposite himself).
Perhaps it’s because of its old-school appeal that the film faces an uphill battle at the box office over its opening weekend, where it’s facing off against Disney’s well-publicized live action remake of “Snow White.” Yet in order to smoothly fuse together the project’s blend of cutting edge technology and classic storytelling, the studio recruited a director known for his versatility and movie star-friendliness: Barry Levinson, the Oscar-winning helmer of “Rain Man.” Levinson’s 55-year career includes “Diner,” “The Natural,” “Good Morning, Vietnam,” “Bugsy” and “Wag the Dog” alongside dozens of television episodes and another five Oscar noms.
Ahead of Friday’s release of “The Alto Knights,” Levinson spoke to Variety about the relationship between Pileggi and Warner Bros.
Discovery CEO David Zaslav that paved the way for the film to get made, and the process of getting De Niro on board and prepared to play dual roles.
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