Just ten days before an earlier scheduled 2017 release, Lionsgate dropped the film and sold the rights back to the producers, allowing them to seek a wider theatrical debut rather than a direct-to-video release.

Despite the high-profile lead, the film struggled significantly upon release: Gotti (2018) - IMDb

The film's journey to the screen was marked by several years of delays and production hurdles:

(released in the U.S. as Gotti ) is a 2018 biographical crime drama chronicling the life of the infamous Gambino crime family boss, John Gotti. Directed by Kevin Connolly and starring John Travolta, the film explores Gotti's ruthless rise to power in New York City across three decades and his complex relationship with his family, particularly his son, John Gotti Jr.. Production & Release

It premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2018 and saw a limited theatrical release in the United States on June 15, 2018, by Vertical Entertainment .

The movie was released in Italian theaters on September 13, 2018, under the title Gotti - Il primo padrino . Critical and Commercial Performance