Robert De Niro vs Robert De Niro in Wise Guys

In the upcoming mafia film “Wise Guys,” Robert De Niro will co-star with himself – playing a double role in the movie.

Barry Levinson, a seasoned director best known for “Rain Man” and “Wag the Dog,” will direct the Warner Bros.-based feature, which is planned to be released in theatres. It brings De Niro and Levinson back together after their past collaborations on “Wag the Dog,” “Sleeper,” “The Wizard of Lies” on HBO, and “What Just Happened.”

Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, two Italian American crime lords who oversaw their own families in the 20th century, are the subjects of the TV show “Wise Guys.” Genovese attempted to assassinate Costello in 1957, but failed. Costello was ultimately hurt and made an attempt to leave the mob. The two primary characters will likely be portrayed by De Niro.

The screenplay for “Wise Guys” was written by Nicholas Pileggi, who also co-wrote Martin Scorsese’s criminal epic “Goodfellas,” which featured Robert De Niro. Though it has nothing to do with Levinson’s movie, “Goodfellas” is based on Pileggi’s 1985 book “Wiseguy: Life in a Mafia Family.”

“Wise Guys” marks De Niro’s comeback to the genre that made him famous. The actor gained notoriety in crime dramas including “The Godfather Part II,” “Mean Streets,” and “Casino” in addition to “Goodfellas.” His more recent credits include “Joker” and Scorsese’s “The Irishman,” which de-aged De Niro and his co-stars Al Pacino and Joe Pesci using sophisticated digital technology. On Apple’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” a Western crime drama on the 1920 Oklahoma killings in the Osage Nation, he’s reuniting with Scorsese.

The movie “Wise Guys” will be produced by Irwin Winkler, who worked on “Goodfellas” and “Rocky.”