The head of Sky Studios’ Italian fare has spotlighted the challenges behind making a Gomorrah prequel in the highly competitive streaming era.
Emanuele Marchesi delved deep into the highly-anticipated next chapter of the hit gang thriller series during an AVPSummit spotlight session this morning.
He said “the world around us has changed” since the first Gomorrah movie was released in 2008, followed by Roberto Saviano’s smash hit series, which premiered in 2014 and ran for five seasons.
“The competitive frameworks are very different now,” said Marchesi. “We didn’t have streamers back then – Netflix arrived in Italy around 2014 – and now there is huge and numerous drama production.”
Produced by Cattleya, the prequel will enter production next year along with another prequel of a popular Sky Italia series, Romanzo Criminale – La serie.
Marchesi, who was promoted late last year to Head of Editorial Content when Sonia Rovai left for Wildside, said...
Emanuele Marchesi delved deep into the highly-anticipated next chapter of the hit gang thriller series during an AVPSummit spotlight session this morning.
He said “the world around us has changed” since the first Gomorrah movie was released in 2008, followed by Roberto Saviano’s smash hit series, which premiered in 2014 and ran for five seasons.
“The competitive frameworks are very different now,” said Marchesi. “We didn’t have streamers back then – Netflix arrived in Italy around 2014 – and now there is huge and numerous drama production.”
Produced by Cattleya, the prequel will enter production next year along with another prequel of a popular Sky Italia series, Romanzo Criminale – La serie.
Marchesi, who was promoted late last year to Head of Editorial Content when Sonia Rovai left for Wildside, said...
- 6/12/2024
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Plans for a “Gomorrah” series prequel are moving forward, with shooting now scheduled to start in winter 2025 on the hit crime drama’s previously announced origin story.
News that the “Gomorrah” prequel show is firmly on track surfaced as Sky Italia celebrated the 10th anniversary of the country’s top TV export, with a special aired on Sunday – of which Variety has been given an exclusive clip – in which key cast traded anecdotes about how their onscreen roles wound up seeping into their real lives.
The “Gomorrah” origin story will recount the rise of mobster Pietro Savastano in the 1970s, when the Neapolitan criminal underworld was pervasive but less cutthroat — more tied to selling contraband cigarettes than large amounts of drugs — as the show’s lead producer Riccardo Tozzi, chief of ITV-owned Cattleya, revealed. Roberto Saviano, who generated the “Gomorrah” IP, is on board. Other details are being kept under wraps.
News that the “Gomorrah” prequel show is firmly on track surfaced as Sky Italia celebrated the 10th anniversary of the country’s top TV export, with a special aired on Sunday – of which Variety has been given an exclusive clip – in which key cast traded anecdotes about how their onscreen roles wound up seeping into their real lives.
The “Gomorrah” origin story will recount the rise of mobster Pietro Savastano in the 1970s, when the Neapolitan criminal underworld was pervasive but less cutthroat — more tied to selling contraband cigarettes than large amounts of drugs — as the show’s lead producer Riccardo Tozzi, chief of ITV-owned Cattleya, revealed. Roberto Saviano, who generated the “Gomorrah” IP, is on board. Other details are being kept under wraps.
- 6/3/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
To celebrate the physical release of Cabrini out now on Blu-Ray, DVD & Digital Download platforms, we have 2 Blu-ray copies to give away to some lucky winners!
From the studio (Angel Studios) and director (Alejandro Monteverde) behind last summer’s box office sensation Sound of Freedom, this stunning biographical epic stars Cristiana Dell’Anna, two-time Oscar nominee John Lithgow, two-time Emmy nominee David Morse and Oscar nominee Giancarlo Giannini. Cabrini was produced by Academy Award-winning Jonathan Sanger (The Elephant Man) and features an original song performed by the world renowned tenor, Andrea Bocelli.
In 1889, Italian immigrant Francesca Cabrini arrives in New York City, greeted only by disease, crime, and impoverished children. Witnessing the vast inequality of the city, Cabrini sets off on a daring mission to help society’s most vulnerable, but must first overcome the prejudices and indifference of those in power. However, despite these momentous setbacks, her broken English, and poor health,...
From the studio (Angel Studios) and director (Alejandro Monteverde) behind last summer’s box office sensation Sound of Freedom, this stunning biographical epic stars Cristiana Dell’Anna, two-time Oscar nominee John Lithgow, two-time Emmy nominee David Morse and Oscar nominee Giancarlo Giannini. Cabrini was produced by Academy Award-winning Jonathan Sanger (The Elephant Man) and features an original song performed by the world renowned tenor, Andrea Bocelli.
In 1889, Italian immigrant Francesca Cabrini arrives in New York City, greeted only by disease, crime, and impoverished children. Witnessing the vast inequality of the city, Cabrini sets off on a daring mission to help society’s most vulnerable, but must first overcome the prejudices and indifference of those in power. However, despite these momentous setbacks, her broken English, and poor health,...
- 5/30/2024
- by Competitions
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Exclusive: One of the market’s biggest-budget projects, the Will Smith action-crime thriller Sugar Bandits, has sealed multi-million dollar deals across the world for AGC ahead of a planned September start date.
Oscar winner Smith, soon to be seen reprising his role in the Bad Boys franchise, will play a former special forces soldier who runs an elite vigilante squad working to wipe out the drug trade in Boston.
As we revealed last week, the movie will be directed by Without Remorse, Sicario: Day of the Soldado and Gomorrah filmmaker Stefano Sollima, a move that helped lock in deals, some of which formed at the EFM and many of which closed here.
Big international deals include Leonine in Germany and Switzerland; Snd in France; Leone Film Group in Italy; Nordisk Film in Scandinavia; Sun Distribution in Spain, South Africa and Latin America; and Vertical Distribution in Ex Yugoslavia, Poland, Romania,...
Oscar winner Smith, soon to be seen reprising his role in the Bad Boys franchise, will play a former special forces soldier who runs an elite vigilante squad working to wipe out the drug trade in Boston.
As we revealed last week, the movie will be directed by Without Remorse, Sicario: Day of the Soldado and Gomorrah filmmaker Stefano Sollima, a move that helped lock in deals, some of which formed at the EFM and many of which closed here.
Big international deals include Leonine in Germany and Switzerland; Snd in France; Leone Film Group in Italy; Nordisk Film in Scandinavia; Sun Distribution in Spain, South Africa and Latin America; and Vertical Distribution in Ex Yugoslavia, Poland, Romania,...
- 5/20/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Italian media company Be Water, which is in Cannes for the first time, has announced its full roster of partners and scope of business activities comprising film, documentary and scripted TV production as well as theatrical film distribution, podcasts and live events.
While details of the company’s scripted productions are being kept under wraps, Be Water has announced the lineup of films they are releasing locally theatrically in collaboration with Italy’s Medusa, which is handling booking and billing. Besides “Oh, Canada,” the Be Water lineup includes Nicolas Cage horror-thriller “Longlegs,” directed by Osgood Perkin; Russian-American director Michael Lockshin’s “The Master and Margarita” with Claes Bang and August Diehl; and action family adventure “Jim Button and the Wild 13.”
The Rome-based shingle is operating with what is being described as a holistic approach to content production that is congenial to the digital age, which is certainly a novelty for Italy.
While details of the company’s scripted productions are being kept under wraps, Be Water has announced the lineup of films they are releasing locally theatrically in collaboration with Italy’s Medusa, which is handling booking and billing. Besides “Oh, Canada,” the Be Water lineup includes Nicolas Cage horror-thriller “Longlegs,” directed by Osgood Perkin; Russian-American director Michael Lockshin’s “The Master and Margarita” with Claes Bang and August Diehl; and action family adventure “Jim Button and the Wild 13.”
The Rome-based shingle is operating with what is being described as a holistic approach to content production that is congenial to the digital age, which is certainly a novelty for Italy.
- 5/13/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: On the eve of the Cannes market, Westbrook Studios and AGC Studios have set Italian filmmaker Stefano Sollima, known for directing Without Remorse, Sicario: Day of the Soldado and hit series Gomorrah, to helm big-budget action-thriller Sugar Bandits.
Based on the screenplay and novel Devils In Exile by Chuck Hogan (The Town), Oscar winner Will Smith (Bad Boys) will play a former special forces soldier who runs an elite vigilante squad working to wipe out the drug trade in Boston. Additional casting continues.
AGC International and CAA Media Finance represent the film’s worldwide distribution rights and will continue sales in Cannes, ahead of an anticipated fall production start.
Smith and Jon Mone will produce Sugar Bandits through Westbrook Studios with Ryan Shimazaki overseeing; Stuart Ford will produce for AGC Studios, which is fully financing; and Richard Abate (13 Hours) will produce for 3 Arts Entertainment. Sollima’s producing partners...
Based on the screenplay and novel Devils In Exile by Chuck Hogan (The Town), Oscar winner Will Smith (Bad Boys) will play a former special forces soldier who runs an elite vigilante squad working to wipe out the drug trade in Boston. Additional casting continues.
AGC International and CAA Media Finance represent the film’s worldwide distribution rights and will continue sales in Cannes, ahead of an anticipated fall production start.
Smith and Jon Mone will produce Sugar Bandits through Westbrook Studios with Ryan Shimazaki overseeing; Stuart Ford will produce for AGC Studios, which is fully financing; and Richard Abate (13 Hours) will produce for 3 Arts Entertainment. Sollima’s producing partners...
- 5/13/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Sky Studios’ director of content operations Bee Devine has joined London film and TV studios Garden Studios as its chief operating officer, taking over from Anthony Gannon.
Garden Studios was established in early 2021, with a focus on sustainability, and has a footprint of more than 300,000 ft2 including four soundstages, with more in development, and a permanent virtual production stage.
Devine joined Sky in 2013. During her tenure she has overseen all operational elements of Sky Studios, the development, commissioning and production arm of Sky, where her responsibilities included delivery of all scripted Sky originals such as Mary And George, Gangs Of London and Gomorrah.
Garden Studios was established in early 2021, with a focus on sustainability, and has a footprint of more than 300,000 ft2 including four soundstages, with more in development, and a permanent virtual production stage.
Devine joined Sky in 2013. During her tenure she has overseen all operational elements of Sky Studios, the development, commissioning and production arm of Sky, where her responsibilities included delivery of all scripted Sky originals such as Mary And George, Gangs Of London and Gomorrah.
- 4/9/2024
- ScreenDaily
Angel Studios, a small production studio operating out of Utah, has swiftly ascended as a significant player in the entertainment industry with its unique approach to distribution. Offering a diverse range of, mostly faith-themed, content accessible worldwide; the small film and TV outfit has revolutionised the distribution landscape mostly through crowdfunding.
While their decidedly innovative approach has been making headlines ever since the extraordinary record-breaking success of Sound of Freedom in 2023 – the film grossed around $250 million on a modest $14.5 million budget – the studio has also scored some huge wins with shows like The Chosen, Dry Bar Comedy and more recently the faith-based sci-fi drama The Shift.
The latest release from this ever surprising outfit sees the return of Sound of Freedom co-director Alejandro Monteverde at the helm in this impressive biopic detailing the life of 19th century Catholic missionary Francesca Cabrini. Portrayed by esteemed Italian actress Cristiana Dell’Anna (Patrizia in...
While their decidedly innovative approach has been making headlines ever since the extraordinary record-breaking success of Sound of Freedom in 2023 – the film grossed around $250 million on a modest $14.5 million budget – the studio has also scored some huge wins with shows like The Chosen, Dry Bar Comedy and more recently the faith-based sci-fi drama The Shift.
The latest release from this ever surprising outfit sees the return of Sound of Freedom co-director Alejandro Monteverde at the helm in this impressive biopic detailing the life of 19th century Catholic missionary Francesca Cabrini. Portrayed by esteemed Italian actress Cristiana Dell’Anna (Patrizia in...
- 3/7/2024
- by Linda Marric
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Toronto-based sales agent Syndicado Film Sales has acquired international rights to German director Caroline von der Tann’s Naples-set doc “The Gospel According to Ciretta” ahead of its world premiere at the Thessaloniki Intl. Documentary Film Festival.
In “The Gospel According to Ciretta,” the titular character, Ciretta, is a young petty crook and occasional male prostitute who is deeply religious and cocooned in a fantasy world of adoration for a beloved statue of the Madonna. “Blessed with an extraordinary voice and performing talent, Ciretta decides to organize a big procession for his beloved Madonna and starts raising money by singing and performing on the streets and selling lighters,” the doc’s provided synopsis reads. But devastating news arrives. His makeshift home in a temporarily closed down theater in the historic center of Naples has been sold, and its new owner wants to turn it into yet another bed and breakfast...
In “The Gospel According to Ciretta,” the titular character, Ciretta, is a young petty crook and occasional male prostitute who is deeply religious and cocooned in a fantasy world of adoration for a beloved statue of the Madonna. “Blessed with an extraordinary voice and performing talent, Ciretta decides to organize a big procession for his beloved Madonna and starts raising money by singing and performing on the streets and selling lighters,” the doc’s provided synopsis reads. But devastating news arrives. His makeshift home in a temporarily closed down theater in the historic center of Naples has been sold, and its new owner wants to turn it into yet another bed and breakfast...
- 3/7/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Julian Bellamy, managing director of ITV Studios, has joined the board of governors of the National Film and Television School in Buckinghamshire, England.
ITV Studios is the production arm of U.K. media conglomerate ITV and with over 60 production labels is the largest producer in the U.K. It has production bases across the globe, including the U.S. It is known for dramas including “Mr. Bates Vs The Post Office,” “Gomorrah” and “Vigil” as well as reality shows such as “Love Island” and “The Voice.”
Before joining ITV Studios, Bellamy held roles at Discovery Networks International, where he was creative director and head of commissioning, Channel 4 and the BBC. He entered the industry as a current affairs producer/director.
“We are thrilled to welcome Julian Bellamy to the Nfts Board of Governors,” said Sophie Turner Laing, chair of the National Film and Television School. “His extensive experience and...
ITV Studios is the production arm of U.K. media conglomerate ITV and with over 60 production labels is the largest producer in the U.K. It has production bases across the globe, including the U.S. It is known for dramas including “Mr. Bates Vs The Post Office,” “Gomorrah” and “Vigil” as well as reality shows such as “Love Island” and “The Voice.”
Before joining ITV Studios, Bellamy held roles at Discovery Networks International, where he was creative director and head of commissioning, Channel 4 and the BBC. He entered the industry as a current affairs producer/director.
“We are thrilled to welcome Julian Bellamy to the Nfts Board of Governors,” said Sophie Turner Laing, chair of the National Film and Television School. “His extensive experience and...
- 3/4/2024
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
On February 23, 2024, Cohen Media Group released “Io Capitano” in the United States, Italy’s Oscar-nominated Best International Feature film directed by Matteo Garrone. The movie is a Homeric fairy tale that tells the adventurous journey of two young boys, Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall), who leave Dakar to reach Europe. The 2024 Oscars contender has received widespread acclaim from critics, scoring a perfect 100% freshness rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The critics consensus reads, “A journey toward hope, ‘Io Capitano’ perambulates through the ravishing Saharan landscape encountering the most sublime and debased corners of humanity.” The castings, under the direction of Henri-Didier Njikam, took place on the African continent and features mostly newcomers. Read our full review round-up below.
See Watch our exciting interviews with 12 of the 20 Oscars 2024 acting nominees
Damon Wise of Deadline says, “Despite its technical elegance — and the film is near flawless in that respect — the...
The critics consensus reads, “A journey toward hope, ‘Io Capitano’ perambulates through the ravishing Saharan landscape encountering the most sublime and debased corners of humanity.” The castings, under the direction of Henri-Didier Njikam, took place on the African continent and features mostly newcomers. Read our full review round-up below.
See Watch our exciting interviews with 12 of the 20 Oscars 2024 acting nominees
Damon Wise of Deadline says, “Despite its technical elegance — and the film is near flawless in that respect — the...
- 2/24/2024
- by Vincent Mandile
- Gold Derby
Italy’s Best International Feature Oscar-nominated Io Capitano starts its U.S. run today in ten market on 21 screens, a bit wider than usual for Cohen Media Group but with Academy final voting just started, reviews are gold for the odyssey that director Matteo Garrone calls “a movie about human rights. About the rights of everybody to move, to look for a better life.”
That’s the quest of teenage cousins Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall), who live in a close-knit village in Senegal. They’re not starving, not in danger. They are poor, restless, want a shot at something better in Europe and are oblivious to the horrors along the way.
Sarr won Best Emerging Actor at the Venice premiere of the film, which marks the onscreen debut for both stars and the first acting role for Sarr, who, Deadline’s review says, “carries the whole movie...
That’s the quest of teenage cousins Seydou (Seydou Sarr) and Moussa (Moustapha Fall), who live in a close-knit village in Senegal. They’re not starving, not in danger. They are poor, restless, want a shot at something better in Europe and are oblivious to the horrors along the way.
Sarr won Best Emerging Actor at the Venice premiere of the film, which marks the onscreen debut for both stars and the first acting role for Sarr, who, Deadline’s review says, “carries the whole movie...
- 2/23/2024
- by Jill Goldsmith
- Deadline Film + TV
Had first-time Senegalese actors Seydour Sarr and Moustapha Fall seen a Matteo Garrone film like “Gomorrah” before being scout-cast in his Italian Oscar nominee “Io Capitano,” they might’ve blinked twice. The 2008 film followed two teens from the Campania slums and into a life of organized crime, ending with them both dead in the mouth of a tractor. “Io Capitano” also follows two teens on a journey — here as African refugees making their way from Dakar to Europe in search of adventure — and as with Garrone’s crowning movie, the Italian filmmaker did not share the full script with his non-professional actors. In other words, Sarr and Fall, who in “Io Capitano” play cousins, had no idea whether their characters would survive the journey across the Mediterranean Sea.
Their voyage to Europe is marked by great danger and peril that Garrone masterfully stages and never dilutes — including a final scene...
Their voyage to Europe is marked by great danger and peril that Garrone masterfully stages and never dilutes — including a final scene...
- 2/22/2024
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Jane Campion is championing Matteo Garrone’s “Io Capitano,” which is Italy’s Oscar-nominated contender for best international feature film.
The movie narrates the Homeric journey of two two Senegalese teenagers, Seydou and Moussa, who decide to leave Dakar to reach Europe in pursuit of a better life. It realistically depicts their plight through the pitfalls of the desert, the horrors of detention centers in Libya and the dangers of the sea.
In Variety‘s review, critic Guy Lodge called “Io Capitano” the director’s “most robust, purely satisfying filmmaking since [his] international breakthrough with ‘Gomorrah’ 15 years ago.” The drama, which at the Venice Film Festival won best director and best emerging actor for its co-star Seydou Sarr is the strongest Italian Oscar contender in recent memory. The film, which also won best European film at San Sebastian, will be released in the U.S. on Feb. 23 by Cohen Media Group.
The movie narrates the Homeric journey of two two Senegalese teenagers, Seydou and Moussa, who decide to leave Dakar to reach Europe in pursuit of a better life. It realistically depicts their plight through the pitfalls of the desert, the horrors of detention centers in Libya and the dangers of the sea.
In Variety‘s review, critic Guy Lodge called “Io Capitano” the director’s “most robust, purely satisfying filmmaking since [his] international breakthrough with ‘Gomorrah’ 15 years ago.” The drama, which at the Venice Film Festival won best director and best emerging actor for its co-star Seydou Sarr is the strongest Italian Oscar contender in recent memory. The film, which also won best European film at San Sebastian, will be released in the U.S. on Feb. 23 by Cohen Media Group.
- 2/22/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Matteo Garrone rose to international prominence with his gritty Mafia thriller Gomorrah (2008), depicting Naples as a hellish war zone. His latest endeavor, Io Capitano earned him the Silver Lion for Best Director at Venice, is a scorching topical drama that provides a unique perspective on Italy, seen through the eyes of outsiders who perceive it as the beacon at the end of a dark and twisted tunnel. The narrative follows a young protagonist lured by the allure of Europe, abandoning the warmth of his domestic life and congenial community to embark on a journey that unveils the harsh reality that the grass on the other side is not always greener. The tale meticulously traces the migrants’ hardships and injustices, unfurling a merciless portrayal of what people inflict upon those they see as helpless. Through the lens of two Senegalese teenagers, the film exposes the punishing process of illegal migration, delving...
- 2/17/2024
- by Dipankar Sarkar
- Talking Films
Iconic German film and TV executive Jan Mojto is launching a partnership with longstanding friend and UFA head Nico Hofmann that will produce German and European series and films for the international market.
They are joined in the unnamed venture by Beta producer Jan Wünschmann.
The partnership was announced Wednesday, on the eve of the annual Berlin Film Festival. No projects were disclosed.
Hofmann and Mojto are connected by half a lifetime of producing. With “The Tunnel”, the duo pioneered the TV event genre in Germany in the early 2000s. Since then, two dozen collaborative and internationally successful television and film productions have followed. These include hits “Generation War,” “Dresden,” “The Tower” and “The Same Sky.”
“This partnership is the fulfillment of a long-held wish. Nico Hofmann is one of the best German producers; He is a gifted storyteller. His professional and personal qualities, which I have known for more than 25 years,...
They are joined in the unnamed venture by Beta producer Jan Wünschmann.
The partnership was announced Wednesday, on the eve of the annual Berlin Film Festival. No projects were disclosed.
Hofmann and Mojto are connected by half a lifetime of producing. With “The Tunnel”, the duo pioneered the TV event genre in Germany in the early 2000s. Since then, two dozen collaborative and internationally successful television and film productions have followed. These include hits “Generation War,” “Dresden,” “The Tower” and “The Same Sky.”
“This partnership is the fulfillment of a long-held wish. Nico Hofmann is one of the best German producers; He is a gifted storyteller. His professional and personal qualities, which I have known for more than 25 years,...
- 2/14/2024
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
After finding much favor with The Academy when it came to craft categories for his previous feature Pinocchio, Italian director Matteo Garrone has now earned his first Best International Feature Film nomination this year for his acclaimed migrant drama Io Capitano. In celebration, NYC’s Quad Cinema will hold a retrospective titled “The Great Garrone,” taking place February 16-22, leading up to Cohen Media Group’s February 23 release of his latest film.
“A real son of Rome, director and screenwriter Matteo Garrone carries the mantle of Italy’s neo realist and surrealist-fantasist traditions of cinema and lifts them into the 21st Century,” notes Quad Cinema. “His accolade-laden filmography toes the lines of narrative, documentary, and fantasy exquisitely, bringing forth to the surface the depth of humanism and understanding through resonant human stories and an artist’s eye for fine detail. The Quad is thrilled to present this retrospective of Matteo Garrone,...
“A real son of Rome, director and screenwriter Matteo Garrone carries the mantle of Italy’s neo realist and surrealist-fantasist traditions of cinema and lifts them into the 21st Century,” notes Quad Cinema. “His accolade-laden filmography toes the lines of narrative, documentary, and fantasy exquisitely, bringing forth to the surface the depth of humanism and understanding through resonant human stories and an artist’s eye for fine detail. The Quad is thrilled to present this retrospective of Matteo Garrone,...
- 2/1/2024
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Exclusive: Filming is underway on long-gestating European thriller series The Kollective (6 x 60′), which we can reveal will star Natascha McElhone (Californication), Celine Buckens (Showtrial), Felix Mayr (Unorthodox), Gregg Sulkin (Marvel’s Runaways), Grégory Montel (Call My Agent), Karel Roden (A Spy Amongst Friends), Cassiopée Mayance (The Clearstream Affair), Martha Canga Antonio (Lupin) and Ralph Amoussou (Transatlantic).
Produced by Submarine (Apollo 10 ½) and created by Leonardo Fasoli (Gomorrah), Maddalena Ravagli (Gomorrah) and Submarine’s Femke Wolting, the series was commissioned by The European Alliance and will be distributed worldwide by A+E Media Group, with Hulu coming aboard for U.S. distribution.
Inspired by the investigative journalist group Bellingcat, the series will span Europe from Budapest and St. Petersburg in the East to London in the West. It will follow a group of intrepid young citizen journalists who, after a sudden tragedy, find themselves sucked into a web of government lies and corruption.
Produced by Submarine (Apollo 10 ½) and created by Leonardo Fasoli (Gomorrah), Maddalena Ravagli (Gomorrah) and Submarine’s Femke Wolting, the series was commissioned by The European Alliance and will be distributed worldwide by A+E Media Group, with Hulu coming aboard for U.S. distribution.
Inspired by the investigative journalist group Bellingcat, the series will span Europe from Budapest and St. Petersburg in the East to London in the West. It will follow a group of intrepid young citizen journalists who, after a sudden tragedy, find themselves sucked into a web of government lies and corruption.
- 1/31/2024
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
As awards season switches up a gear, with the handing out of the Golden Globes and the publication of the Bafta shortlists, one major title stands out in the International categories of both: Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winning courtroom drama Anatomy of a Fall. It would be a reasonable bet for the Oscar win in any year — if it were actually eligible. In lieu of Triet’s film, which fell well within Academy rules in terms of the amount of English spoken, the French selection panel opted instead for period gourmet drama The Taste of Things to do battle for the country’s honor, a move that is sure to cause a lot of confusion in the coming weeks.
Otherwise, the release of the international shortlist came with very few surprises this year, but perhaps chief among them was an unexpected snub for the Palestinian entry Bye Bye Tiberias by Lina Soulem.
Otherwise, the release of the international shortlist came with very few surprises this year, but perhaps chief among them was an unexpected snub for the Palestinian entry Bye Bye Tiberias by Lina Soulem.
- 1/11/2024
- by Damon Wise
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Cohen Media Group has set Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone’s latest pic, Io Capitano, for a nationwide release.
The film — which has been shortlisted as Italy’s submission for the Best International Feature Oscar — will roll out nationwide on February 23.
An Italy-Belgium-France co-production, the timely drama tells the story of the adventurous journey of Seydou and Moussa, two young men who leave Dakar to make their way to Europe. Synopsis reads: Io Capitano is a contemporary Odyssey through the dangers of the desert, the horrors of the detention centers in Libya, and the perils of the sea.
The film world premiered to critical acclaim in Competition in Venice, winning Best Director for Garrone, Best Young Star for co-star Seydou Sarr, and Best Production Director for Claudia Cravotta. The pic is the first film Garrone — a two-time Cannes jury prize winner — screened in competition at Venice.
The Deadline review out...
The film — which has been shortlisted as Italy’s submission for the Best International Feature Oscar — will roll out nationwide on February 23.
An Italy-Belgium-France co-production, the timely drama tells the story of the adventurous journey of Seydou and Moussa, two young men who leave Dakar to make their way to Europe. Synopsis reads: Io Capitano is a contemporary Odyssey through the dangers of the desert, the horrors of the detention centers in Libya, and the perils of the sea.
The film world premiered to critical acclaim in Competition in Venice, winning Best Director for Garrone, Best Young Star for co-star Seydou Sarr, and Best Production Director for Claudia Cravotta. The pic is the first film Garrone — a two-time Cannes jury prize winner — screened in competition at Venice.
The Deadline review out...
- 1/2/2024
- by Zac Ntim and Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Roberto Benigni, whose film “Life Is Beautiful” won three Oscars in 1999, has come out of the woodwork to support Matteo Garrone’s Golden Globe-nominated “Io Capitano,” which is Italy’s current Oscar candidate for best international feature film.
The revered yet reclusive Italian actor/director, whose most recent big screen role is playing Geppetto in Matteo Garrone’s hit 2019 live-action adaptation of “Pinocchio,” is clearly a big fan of “Io Capitano” (the title translates to “Me Captain”). The movie narrates the Homeric journey of two young African men, Seydou and Moussa, who decide to leave Dakar to reach Europe.
Garrone’s immigration drama realistically depicts their plight through the pitfalls of the desert, the horrors of detention centers in Libya and the dangers of the sea. Variety critic Guy Lodge in his review called “Io Capitano” the director’s “most robust, purely satisfying filmmaking since Garrone’s international breakthrough with ‘Gomorrah’ 15 years ago.
The revered yet reclusive Italian actor/director, whose most recent big screen role is playing Geppetto in Matteo Garrone’s hit 2019 live-action adaptation of “Pinocchio,” is clearly a big fan of “Io Capitano” (the title translates to “Me Captain”). The movie narrates the Homeric journey of two young African men, Seydou and Moussa, who decide to leave Dakar to reach Europe.
Garrone’s immigration drama realistically depicts their plight through the pitfalls of the desert, the horrors of detention centers in Libya and the dangers of the sea. Variety critic Guy Lodge in his review called “Io Capitano” the director’s “most robust, purely satisfying filmmaking since Garrone’s international breakthrough with ‘Gomorrah’ 15 years ago.
- 12/21/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Madrid-based Rock & Ruz – the production company of Netflix’s “Nowhere,” which has just been confirmed by Netflix as its most-viewed Spanish-language movie of all time – has pacted new projects with Italy’s Leonardo Fasoli, a head-writer of “Gomorrah” and creator of “ZeroZeroZero,” and Spain-based Alejandro Hernández, a co-writer on Alejandro Amenábar’s “While at War” and “La Fortuna.”
Targeting the key to high-end fiction success in Europe – its screenwriters – and added to “Nowhere” and an upcoming Spanish-Mexican remake of hit Korean movie “Miracle in Cell No. 7” – the freshly-announced projects mark out Rock & Ruz as a new and significant Spain-based international player.
As international markets – both theatrical and global streamers – are asking for bigger films with identifiable audiences, Rock & Ruz’s bold slate looks like a ready source of titles.
“Our company is focused on producing global strategic projects. No matter if they are in English or Spanish,” Rock & Ruz...
Targeting the key to high-end fiction success in Europe – its screenwriters – and added to “Nowhere” and an upcoming Spanish-Mexican remake of hit Korean movie “Miracle in Cell No. 7” – the freshly-announced projects mark out Rock & Ruz as a new and significant Spain-based international player.
As international markets – both theatrical and global streamers – are asking for bigger films with identifiable audiences, Rock & Ruz’s bold slate looks like a ready source of titles.
“Our company is focused on producing global strategic projects. No matter if they are in English or Spanish,” Rock & Ruz...
- 12/20/2023
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
"We want to go to Europe." Cohen Media Group has revealed an official US trailer for a survival called Io Capitano, made by the acclaimed Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone, best known for his films Gomorrah, Reality, Tale of Tales, and Dogman. The film premiered at the 2023 Venice Film Festival and won the Best Director prize there, with stops at AFI Fest and San Sebastian as well. Io Capitano is a Homeric fairy tale that tells the adventurous journey of two young boys, Seydou and Moussa, who leave Dakar to reach Europe. A modern Odyssey through the dangers of the desert, the sea and the ambiguities of the human soul. The film stars newcomers Seydou Sarr and Moustapha Fall. This incredible film is one of these examples of filmmaking where I just have no idea how they pulled off and filmed certain jaw-dropping scenes, it's all so astonishing to watch. It's...
- 12/14/2023
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
“Doc,” the Italian medical procedural that’s a local hit and and major export, is getting a theatrical outing in Italy prior to TV play thanks to a deal between production company Lux Vide and Uci Cinemas.
In what is being touted as a milestone, the first two episodes of the show’s third season are set to screen in Uci Cinemas across Italy as an event release on Dec. 18 and 19, ahead of the full season release of “Doc” Jan. 11 on state broadcaster Rai’s flagship Rai 1 channel.
“‘Doc’ is a show of many firsts. Our first foray into the medical genre, which drew a record-breaking 30% average audience share for Rai; our first U.S. remake deal; and now an unprecedented [for Lux Vide] limited theatrical release,” said Luca Bernabei, CEO of the Fremantle-owned Lux Vide, in a statement. He went on to praise the show for “it’s distinctive flair and strong concept.
In what is being touted as a milestone, the first two episodes of the show’s third season are set to screen in Uci Cinemas across Italy as an event release on Dec. 18 and 19, ahead of the full season release of “Doc” Jan. 11 on state broadcaster Rai’s flagship Rai 1 channel.
“‘Doc’ is a show of many firsts. Our first foray into the medical genre, which drew a record-breaking 30% average audience share for Rai; our first U.S. remake deal; and now an unprecedented [for Lux Vide] limited theatrical release,” said Luca Bernabei, CEO of the Fremantle-owned Lux Vide, in a statement. He went on to praise the show for “it’s distinctive flair and strong concept.
- 12/12/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Cohen Media Group has bought all North American rights to “Io Capitano,” a lushly-lensed, stirring immigration drama by “Gomorrah” director Matteo Garrone. Sold worldwide by Pathé Films, the critically acclaimed movie is Italy’s official Oscar entry and is slated to be released theatrically in early 2024.
With Cohen Media Group as its North American distributor, “Io Capitano” has strengthened its position in the awards season. The movie world premiered to stellar reviews in September at Venice Film Festival, where it was greeted with a 13-minute standing ovation and won the Silver Lion for Garrone and best emerging actor for Seydou Sarr.
“Io Capitano” went on to win the best European film award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. The movie is also vying for best film and director at the European Film Awards this weekend.
Reminiscent of “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Io Capitano” tells the epic story of a teenage boy who,...
With Cohen Media Group as its North American distributor, “Io Capitano” has strengthened its position in the awards season. The movie world premiered to stellar reviews in September at Venice Film Festival, where it was greeted with a 13-minute standing ovation and won the Silver Lion for Garrone and best emerging actor for Seydou Sarr.
“Io Capitano” went on to win the best European film award at the San Sebastian International Film Festival. The movie is also vying for best film and director at the European Film Awards this weekend.
Reminiscent of “Slumdog Millionaire,” “Io Capitano” tells the epic story of a teenage boy who,...
- 12/8/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy and Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Io Capitano, Pinocchio, Tale Of Tales director Matteo Garrone with Anne-Katrin Titze: “I would say that fairy tales, as Italo Calvino used to say, fairy tales are true. It’s a different way to talk about the human condition.”
Italy’s Oscar submission and Venice Film Festival Unesco and Best Director Silver Lion winner Matteo Garrone’s suspenseful and fleet Io Capitano (Me Captain), co-written with Massimo Ceccherini (Garrone’s Pinocchio), Massimo Gaudioso, and Andrea Tagliaferri, shot by Paolo Carnera stars the naturalistic duo of Seydou Sarr (Marcello Mastroianni Award Best Young Actor) and Moustapha Fall with Ndeye Khady Sy, Oumar Diaw, Issaka Sawadogo.
Matteo Garrone on Io Capitano shot by Paolo Carnera: “Paolo put himself in the service of the story and he worked carefully on the light, but tried always to be natural, …”
Garrone’s Tale of Tales, based on Giambattista Basile’s early 17th century fairy tales,...
Italy’s Oscar submission and Venice Film Festival Unesco and Best Director Silver Lion winner Matteo Garrone’s suspenseful and fleet Io Capitano (Me Captain), co-written with Massimo Ceccherini (Garrone’s Pinocchio), Massimo Gaudioso, and Andrea Tagliaferri, shot by Paolo Carnera stars the naturalistic duo of Seydou Sarr (Marcello Mastroianni Award Best Young Actor) and Moustapha Fall with Ndeye Khady Sy, Oumar Diaw, Issaka Sawadogo.
Matteo Garrone on Io Capitano shot by Paolo Carnera: “Paolo put himself in the service of the story and he worked carefully on the light, but tried always to be natural, …”
Garrone’s Tale of Tales, based on Giambattista Basile’s early 17th century fairy tales,...
- 11/28/2023
- by Anne-Katrin Titze
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The drama is Italy’s submission for the international film award at the Oscars.
Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone’s buzzy Venice title Io Capitano is to be distributed in the UK and Ireland by Altitude, released in cinemas from March 8 2024.
The drama has joined the Oscars race as Italy’s official submission for the international film prize, and has already won the Silver Lion for best director and the best young actor prize for Seydou Sarr at Venice, as well as picking up the best European film prize at San Sebastian.
It is nominated for best European film prize at the upcoming European Film Awards,...
Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone’s buzzy Venice title Io Capitano is to be distributed in the UK and Ireland by Altitude, released in cinemas from March 8 2024.
The drama has joined the Oscars race as Italy’s official submission for the international film prize, and has already won the Silver Lion for best director and the best young actor prize for Seydou Sarr at Venice, as well as picking up the best European film prize at San Sebastian.
It is nominated for best European film prize at the upcoming European Film Awards,...
- 11/14/2023
- by Mona Tabbara
- ScreenDaily
A star-studded crime thriller from Oscar-nominated director Julian Schnabel is coming our way, with Orcasr Isaac, Jason Momoa, and Gerard Butler leading the cast. Schnabel’s In the Hand of Dante film is in production in Italy, with an Interim Agreement from SAG-AFTRA to allow filming during the ongoing strike. Based on the novel of the same name by Nick Tosches, In the Hand of Dante finds a piece of history in the clutches of criminals.
According to Deadline’s exclusive report, In the Hand of Dante “revolves around when the original manuscript of the Divine Comedy emerges in the clutches of a black-market smuggling ring in the dangerous underbelly of New York City, weary scholar Nick is called by the mob to authenticate it.”
“Overwhelmed by temptation, Nick defies the mafia and steals the manuscript in a frenzied bid to have it all. He follows a dark and violent...
According to Deadline’s exclusive report, In the Hand of Dante “revolves around when the original manuscript of the Divine Comedy emerges in the clutches of a black-market smuggling ring in the dangerous underbelly of New York City, weary scholar Nick is called by the mob to authenticate it.”
“Overwhelmed by temptation, Nick defies the mafia and steals the manuscript in a frenzied bid to have it all. He follows a dark and violent...
- 10/16/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Company is readying theatrical feature ’Everything We Ever Wanted’ directed by Francesca Comencini.
Cattleya, the Italian film and TV outfit company backed by ITV Studios, has teamed with writers Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravagli to launch a new outfit called Dedalus.
Cattleya has previously worked with Fasoli and Ravagli on series such as Gomorrah, ZeroZeroZero, The Immortal and Django.
Dedalus, which will develop and produce films and television series, is working on Francesca Comencini’s feature Everything We Ever Wanted, billed as a a story of love and friendship within the Neapolitan mob, set during two different time periods.
Comencini...
Cattleya, the Italian film and TV outfit company backed by ITV Studios, has teamed with writers Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravagli to launch a new outfit called Dedalus.
Cattleya has previously worked with Fasoli and Ravagli on series such as Gomorrah, ZeroZeroZero, The Immortal and Django.
Dedalus, which will develop and produce films and television series, is working on Francesca Comencini’s feature Everything We Ever Wanted, billed as a a story of love and friendship within the Neapolitan mob, set during two different time periods.
Comencini...
- 10/16/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Company is readying theatrical feature ’Everything We Ever Wanted’ directed by Francesca Comencini.
ITV Studios-backed Italian production outfit Cattleya has teamed with writers Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravagli to co-found Dedalus.
Rome-based Cattleya has previously worked with Fasoli and Ravagli on shows such as Gomorrah, ZeroZeroZero, The Immortal and Django.
Dedalus, which will develop and produce films and television series, is working on theatrical feature Everything We Ever Wanted, billed as a a story of love and friendship amidst a mid-seventies Neapolitan mob, set during two different time periods and directed by Francesca Comencini, whose credits include 2012 Venice competition...
ITV Studios-backed Italian production outfit Cattleya has teamed with writers Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravagli to co-found Dedalus.
Rome-based Cattleya has previously worked with Fasoli and Ravagli on shows such as Gomorrah, ZeroZeroZero, The Immortal and Django.
Dedalus, which will develop and produce films and television series, is working on theatrical feature Everything We Ever Wanted, billed as a a story of love and friendship amidst a mid-seventies Neapolitan mob, set during two different time periods and directed by Francesca Comencini, whose credits include 2012 Venice competition...
- 10/16/2023
- by Tim Dams
- ScreenDaily
Gomorrah writers Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravagli have launched an ITV Studios-backed Italian indie with Cattleya, as ITV Studios unveils a second season of My Mum, Your Dad UK with Mipcom Cannes kicking off.
The new outfit, Dedalus, is aiming to develop and produce films and television series by building on the approach already seen in the collaboration between Cattleya and Fasoli – Ravagli to date. It said it will “foreground the role of research and innovation alongside that of the writers’ full engagement throughout the creative process.”
Dedalus is already working on two projects: Everything We Ever Wanted, a theatrical feature about a story of love and friendship amidst a mid-seventies Neapolitan mob, set during two different time periods and directed by Francesca Comencini. The second project, Erba, a television series based on one of Italy’s most disturbing crime stories, will look carefully at the context in which...
The new outfit, Dedalus, is aiming to develop and produce films and television series by building on the approach already seen in the collaboration between Cattleya and Fasoli – Ravagli to date. It said it will “foreground the role of research and innovation alongside that of the writers’ full engagement throughout the creative process.”
Dedalus is already working on two projects: Everything We Ever Wanted, a theatrical feature about a story of love and friendship amidst a mid-seventies Neapolitan mob, set during two different time periods and directed by Francesca Comencini. The second project, Erba, a television series based on one of Italy’s most disturbing crime stories, will look carefully at the context in which...
- 10/16/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
ITV Studios-owned Italian production company Cattleya is joining forces with Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravagli, Italian writers whose credits include such cross-over TV series as Gomorrah, ZeroZeroZero and Django to launch Dedalus, a new production company which will develop drama projects for the big and small screens.
Dedalus has two projects far along in the pipeline: Everything We Ever Wanted, a theatrical feature about love and friendship set against the world of the 1970s Neopolitan mafia, which Francesca Comencini (Django) will direct; and Erba, a TV series inspired by a horrific crime — the brutal murders of a family of four by their seemingly-ordinary middle-aged neighbors — that shocked Italy in December 2006.
“Over the years we have formed a special bond with Leonardo and Maddalena, based on a unique way of working together which actively involves them at every stage of our shared projects,” said Cattleya founder Riccardo Tozzi, who announced...
Dedalus has two projects far along in the pipeline: Everything We Ever Wanted, a theatrical feature about love and friendship set against the world of the 1970s Neopolitan mafia, which Francesca Comencini (Django) will direct; and Erba, a TV series inspired by a horrific crime — the brutal murders of a family of four by their seemingly-ordinary middle-aged neighbors — that shocked Italy in December 2006.
“Over the years we have formed a special bond with Leonardo and Maddalena, based on a unique way of working together which actively involves them at every stage of our shared projects,” said Cattleya founder Riccardo Tozzi, who announced...
- 10/16/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Sky Studios Italia has unveiled a restructure and new leadership team on the final day of the Mia Market in Rome.
Sonia Rovai, Senior Director of Scripted Productions, is exiting and moving to Fremantle’s Italian website Wildside, where she is taking on the General Manager role.
From today, Sky’s commissioning, in-house productions, content coordination & development, and promotion & talent management departments will all report directly to Nils Hartmann, EVP of Sky Studios Italia.
Paired with the reorganization have been four promotions, with Devils exec Erica Negri upped to lead the commissioning team, Chiara Cucci helming in-house productions, Emanuele Marchesis heading Sky Studios’ content co-ordination and development and Martina Ceramicola taking on promotion and talent management. Rounding out the Sky Studios Italia team are Ivana Kastratovic, Head of Production Management, and Loredana Di Domenico, Head of Business Affairs, who will also report directly to Hartmann.
“I am proud that our...
Sonia Rovai, Senior Director of Scripted Productions, is exiting and moving to Fremantle’s Italian website Wildside, where she is taking on the General Manager role.
From today, Sky’s commissioning, in-house productions, content coordination & development, and promotion & talent management departments will all report directly to Nils Hartmann, EVP of Sky Studios Italia.
Paired with the reorganization have been four promotions, with Devils exec Erica Negri upped to lead the commissioning team, Chiara Cucci helming in-house productions, Emanuele Marchesis heading Sky Studios’ content co-ordination and development and Martina Ceramicola taking on promotion and talent management. Rounding out the Sky Studios Italia team are Ivana Kastratovic, Head of Production Management, and Loredana Di Domenico, Head of Business Affairs, who will also report directly to Hartmann.
“I am proud that our...
- 10/13/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Matteo Garrone’s Io Capitano (Me Captain in English), which was recently chosen as Italy’s entry for this season’s best international feature Oscar competition, will be celebrated with the Humanitarian Award at the 28th Capri, Hollywood International Film Festival later this year, the fest announced Sunday. The award will be accepted in-person by Garrone and the film’s stars, Seydou Sarr and Moustapha Fall.
The film — which premiered in September at the Venice International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Silver Lion for the direction by Garrone (2008’s Gomorrah) and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for the performance by Sarr — tells the story of a Senegalese teenager’s desperate quest to get from Dakar to Europe.
“Io Capitano is well deserving of the Capri Humanitarian Award, as it is an important work of art encouraging inclusion and solidarity among human beings and shows the utmost respect for individuality and cultural diversity,...
The film — which premiered in September at the Venice International Film Festival, where it was awarded the Silver Lion for the direction by Garrone (2008’s Gomorrah) and the Marcello Mastroianni Award for the performance by Sarr — tells the story of a Senegalese teenager’s desperate quest to get from Dakar to Europe.
“Io Capitano is well deserving of the Capri Humanitarian Award, as it is an important work of art encouraging inclusion and solidarity among human beings and shows the utmost respect for individuality and cultural diversity,...
- 10/9/2023
- by Scott Feinberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Welcome to Global Breakouts, Deadline’s fortnightly strand in which we shine a spotlight on the TV shows and films killing it in their local territories. The industry is as globalized as it’s ever been, but breakout hits are appearing in pockets of the world all the time and it can be hard to keep track… So, we’re going to do the hard work for you.
This week we’re featuring Matteo Garrone’s gritty Venice Silver Lion-winning migrant drama, Io Capitano. Italy’s submission for the Best International Feature Film Oscar, it boasts a stunning performance from new talent Seydou Sarr and is drawing audiences in its home country ahead of international rollout later this year.
Name: Io Capitano
Country: Italy
Producers: Archimede, Tarantula, Rai Cinema, Pathé Films
Distributor: Pathé Films
For fans of: Lion, Slumdog Millionaire, Fire at Sea
Veteran Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone’s stock...
This week we’re featuring Matteo Garrone’s gritty Venice Silver Lion-winning migrant drama, Io Capitano. Italy’s submission for the Best International Feature Film Oscar, it boasts a stunning performance from new talent Seydou Sarr and is drawing audiences in its home country ahead of international rollout later this year.
Name: Io Capitano
Country: Italy
Producers: Archimede, Tarantula, Rai Cinema, Pathé Films
Distributor: Pathé Films
For fans of: Lion, Slumdog Millionaire, Fire at Sea
Veteran Italian filmmaker Matteo Garrone’s stock...
- 10/4/2023
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
‘Big Brother’ Unveils Duty Of Care Protocols
Big Brother housemates will have to abide by the same social media blackout as Love Island contestants while those working on the show will be regularly reminded of Banijay’s Bullying and Harassment, Grievance and Whistleblowing Policies, as ITV shares its duty of care protocols for the reboot. Kicking off Sunday, Big Brother returns to British TV screens after five years off air and ITV and Banijay label Initial have been stringent in their approach to duty of care, given that conflict shows such as the Jeremy Kyle Show have been axed while Big Brother has been off air. ITV’s welfare package includes the social media blackout that means housemates’ family and friends will not be asked not to post content on individual social media accounts for the duration of their time in the house. Housemates will also undergo psychological and medical...
Big Brother housemates will have to abide by the same social media blackout as Love Island contestants while those working on the show will be regularly reminded of Banijay’s Bullying and Harassment, Grievance and Whistleblowing Policies, as ITV shares its duty of care protocols for the reboot. Kicking off Sunday, Big Brother returns to British TV screens after five years off air and ITV and Banijay label Initial have been stringent in their approach to duty of care, given that conflict shows such as the Jeremy Kyle Show have been axed while Big Brother has been off air. ITV’s welfare package includes the social media blackout that means housemates’ family and friends will not be asked not to post content on individual social media accounts for the duration of their time in the house. Housemates will also undergo psychological and medical...
- 10/4/2023
- by Max Goldbart and Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Marco Chimenz, Co-CEO of Italy’s Cattleya the prominent ITV-owned outfit behind “Gomorrah” and “ZeroZeroZero,” will be leaving the company in January to join pan-European powerhouse Federation Studios.
At Federation Chimenz will serve as group co-managing director of the expanding production and distribution studio that currently comprises 35 production companies, working closely with founder and CEO Pascal Breton and Federation co-director Lionel Uzan.
Founded in 2013, Federation is a production, financing and distribution studio with subsidiaries and associate production companies based in Paris, Los Angeles, Rome, Madrid, Berlin, Cologne, London, Brussels and Tel Aviv. The group’s best-known titles include “The Bureau,” “In Treatment,” “Baby,” “Hostages,” “Marseille,” “Bad Banks,” “Your Honor,” and “Around the World in 80 Days.”
Chimenz will continue to work with Cattleya’s Spanish affiliate on several productions until 2025. He will also continue to operate with longtime collaborator Joshua Berman, who is currently head of business affairs at Cattleya.
At Federation Chimenz will serve as group co-managing director of the expanding production and distribution studio that currently comprises 35 production companies, working closely with founder and CEO Pascal Breton and Federation co-director Lionel Uzan.
Founded in 2013, Federation is a production, financing and distribution studio with subsidiaries and associate production companies based in Paris, Los Angeles, Rome, Madrid, Berlin, Cologne, London, Brussels and Tel Aviv. The group’s best-known titles include “The Bureau,” “In Treatment,” “Baby,” “Hostages,” “Marseille,” “Bad Banks,” “Your Honor,” and “Around the World in 80 Days.”
Chimenz will continue to work with Cattleya’s Spanish affiliate on several productions until 2025. He will also continue to operate with longtime collaborator Joshua Berman, who is currently head of business affairs at Cattleya.
- 10/4/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Sky Studios is developing prequels to “Gomorrah” and “Crime Novel,” the two widely exported Sky Italia original crime series that are considered Italian TV milestones.
News that Sky and ITV-owned production company Cattleya are looking to reboot these two shows with origin stories was announced as Sky Italia celebrates its 20th anniversary with a big bash in Rome.
Sky Italia first ventured into Italian TV production in 2008 with “Romanzo Criminale,” as “Crime Novel” is known in Italian, which is centered around a real Roman heroin-dealing gang. Besides being a hit in Italy, the story also traveled widely. “Gomorrah” (pictured above), which is based on Roberto Saviano’s bestselling Neapolitan mob exposé, launched in 2014. From the outset, this gritty show brought audiences inside the belly of the real Neapolitan criminal underworld, thanks in part to being shot almost entirely in the actual places it portrays. Besides attaining megahit status in Italy,...
News that Sky and ITV-owned production company Cattleya are looking to reboot these two shows with origin stories was announced as Sky Italia celebrates its 20th anniversary with a big bash in Rome.
Sky Italia first ventured into Italian TV production in 2008 with “Romanzo Criminale,” as “Crime Novel” is known in Italian, which is centered around a real Roman heroin-dealing gang. Besides being a hit in Italy, the story also traveled widely. “Gomorrah” (pictured above), which is based on Roberto Saviano’s bestselling Neapolitan mob exposé, launched in 2014. From the outset, this gritty show brought audiences inside the belly of the real Neapolitan criminal underworld, thanks in part to being shot almost entirely in the actual places it portrays. Besides attaining megahit status in Italy,...
- 10/3/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Sky Studios is developing prequel series to Gomorrah and Romanzo Criminale.
The pair of shows are widely regarded to be two of the most successful Italian TV series of all time.
Inspired by Roberto Saviano’s bestseller, the untitled Gomorrah prequel from ITV Studios-backed Cattleya will spotlight the criminal rise of boss Pietro Savastano, from when he was a kid on the streets to becoming the most important and ruthless boss in Naples. Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravagli will once again work on the screenplay.
Gomorrah ran for five seasons on Sky between 2014 and 2021, totalling 58 episodes, while a 2008 film of the same name was loosely based on the book. The TV show starred the likes of Marco D’Amore, Salvatore Esposito and Fortunato Cerlino.
Meanwhile, Romanzo Criminale – La serie will focus on the years before the rise of the Banda della Magliana criminal organization, as recounted in the two seasons of the original series,...
The pair of shows are widely regarded to be two of the most successful Italian TV series of all time.
Inspired by Roberto Saviano’s bestseller, the untitled Gomorrah prequel from ITV Studios-backed Cattleya will spotlight the criminal rise of boss Pietro Savastano, from when he was a kid on the streets to becoming the most important and ruthless boss in Naples. Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravagli will once again work on the screenplay.
Gomorrah ran for five seasons on Sky between 2014 and 2021, totalling 58 episodes, while a 2008 film of the same name was loosely based on the book. The TV show starred the likes of Marco D’Amore, Salvatore Esposito and Fortunato Cerlino.
Meanwhile, Romanzo Criminale – La serie will focus on the years before the rise of the Banda della Magliana criminal organization, as recounted in the two seasons of the original series,...
- 10/3/2023
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Munich-based Beta Film, one of Europe’s leading television companies, and seasoned executive Danny Goldman have joined forces to form London-based Omega Global Media, a distribution business focusing on a selection of high-end English-language TV series. The new entity’s first project is the Canadian crime series “Something Undone,” starring Billy Campbell (“Cardinal”) and Amanda Brugel (“The Handmaid’s Tale”).
The formation of Omega Global Media reflects the partners’ shared conviction that they can co-finance and distribute premium English-language dramas beyond the constraints of the conventional studio, network, and streaming models. The company will be headed by Goldman, a former Sony Pictures Television and Miramax executive, and managing director of Goldridge Media.
Over the course of his career, Goldman has had a leading role in the distribution of many iconic TV series, including “Breaking Bad,” “Damages” and “Seinfield.” Beta Film’s credits include “The Swarm,” “Hudson&Rex,” “Prof T.,” “Babylon Berlin” and “Gomorrah.
The formation of Omega Global Media reflects the partners’ shared conviction that they can co-finance and distribute premium English-language dramas beyond the constraints of the conventional studio, network, and streaming models. The company will be headed by Goldman, a former Sony Pictures Television and Miramax executive, and managing director of Goldridge Media.
Over the course of his career, Goldman has had a leading role in the distribution of many iconic TV series, including “Breaking Bad,” “Damages” and “Seinfield.” Beta Film’s credits include “The Swarm,” “Hudson&Rex,” “Prof T.,” “Babylon Berlin” and “Gomorrah.
- 9/28/2023
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Matteo Garrone’s talent for weaving stories out of the fabric of real events––especially those involving desperate or violent people––gets another airing in Io Capitano, an engrossing, visceral portrait of one young man’s brutal journey from Senegal to the coast of Italy. The director won the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2008 for Gomorrah, his defining, excoriating portrait of the Camorra crime syndicate, and he performed the trick again ten years later in Dogman, inspired by a gruesome gangland murder in Rome. He’s also had success in comedies (Reality) and fantasy (Tale of Tales), but his new film is an epic embracing the defining issue of Italian politics right now––the flow of refugees crossing the Mediterranean heading for Europe––making a potentially abstract, no-less-urgent topic tactile and approachable.
The migrant crisis is having a moment this year in European cinema, with Agnieszka Holland’s recent Green Border,...
The migrant crisis is having a moment this year in European cinema, with Agnieszka Holland’s recent Green Border,...
- 9/27/2023
- by Ed Frankl
- The Film Stage
The Oscars Best International Feature Film race landed two major frontrunners on the same day on Thursday, with the United Kingdom submitting Jonathan Glazer’s chilling World War II drama “The Zone of Interest” and France following with Tran Anh Hung’s rapturous “The Taste of Things” in the one-film-per-country competition.
“The Zone of Interest,” set among German families who live on the outskirts of Auschwitz, won the Grand Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and won raves as one of the most original and unnerving films to deal with the Holocaust since “Son of Saul,” which won the Oscar in this category eight years ago. It was considered the obvious choice for the U.K. to submit.
France, on the other hand, had an extremely difficult choice between Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall,” starring Sandra Huller as a woman on trial for murdering her husband,...
“The Zone of Interest,” set among German families who live on the outskirts of Auschwitz, won the Grand Prize at this year’s Cannes Film Festival and won raves as one of the most original and unnerving films to deal with the Holocaust since “Son of Saul,” which won the Oscar in this category eight years ago. It was considered the obvious choice for the U.K. to submit.
France, on the other hand, had an extremely difficult choice between Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall,” starring Sandra Huller as a woman on trial for murdering her husband,...
- 9/21/2023
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Italy has picked Matteo Garrone’s moving migration drama Io Capitano to represent the country in the 2024 Oscars in the best international film category.
The feature, which follows the trials of two Senegalese teenagers trying to make it from Dakar to Italy — across the Sahara desert and over the Mediterranean Sea — premiered at the Venice Film Festival where it won the best director Silver Lion for Garrone and the best new actor prize for lead Seydou Sarr. The Hollywood Reporter picked the film as one of the 15 best movies of this year’s fall festivals.
Io Capitano is especially timely given the new hard line towards immigration taken by Italy’s far-right government under Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Speaking at the U.N. this week, Meloni called for tighter controls on migration, saying she would not allow Italy to become “Europe’s refugee camp.”
Io Capitano was picked by...
The feature, which follows the trials of two Senegalese teenagers trying to make it from Dakar to Italy — across the Sahara desert and over the Mediterranean Sea — premiered at the Venice Film Festival where it won the best director Silver Lion for Garrone and the best new actor prize for lead Seydou Sarr. The Hollywood Reporter picked the film as one of the 15 best movies of this year’s fall festivals.
Io Capitano is especially timely given the new hard line towards immigration taken by Italy’s far-right government under Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Speaking at the U.N. this week, Meloni called for tighter controls on migration, saying she would not allow Italy to become “Europe’s refugee camp.”
Io Capitano was picked by...
- 9/20/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Italy has submitted Matteo Garrone’s Io Capitano as its candidate for Best International Film at the 96th Academy Awards.
The timely drama follows the hardships of two Senegalese teenagers as they try to make it to Europe via the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean Sea.
The film world premiered to critical acclaim in Competition in Venice winning Best Director for Garrone, Best Young Star for co-star Seydou Sarr and Best Production Director for Claudia Cravotta.
The Deadline review out of Venice describes the film as “a blisteringly topical drama” that could be Garrone’s “best” film to date, in a filmography that also includes Gomorrah, Tale of Tales and Dogman.
The selection was made by a committee overseen by Italian cinema organisation Anica. Its members comprised Alessandro Araimo, Domizia De Rosa, Esmeralda Calabria, Daniela Ciancio, Francesca Lo Schiavo, Giorgio Moroder, Cristiana Paternò, Michele Placido, Paola Randi, Riccardo Tozzi and Gianpiero Tulelli.
The timely drama follows the hardships of two Senegalese teenagers as they try to make it to Europe via the Sahara desert and the Mediterranean Sea.
The film world premiered to critical acclaim in Competition in Venice winning Best Director for Garrone, Best Young Star for co-star Seydou Sarr and Best Production Director for Claudia Cravotta.
The Deadline review out of Venice describes the film as “a blisteringly topical drama” that could be Garrone’s “best” film to date, in a filmography that also includes Gomorrah, Tale of Tales and Dogman.
The selection was made by a committee overseen by Italian cinema organisation Anica. Its members comprised Alessandro Araimo, Domizia De Rosa, Esmeralda Calabria, Daniela Ciancio, Francesca Lo Schiavo, Giorgio Moroder, Cristiana Paternò, Michele Placido, Paola Randi, Riccardo Tozzi and Gianpiero Tulelli.
- 9/20/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Netflix on Tuesday unveiled four new Italian originals – two feature films and two series – that confirm its continued investment in Italy as local subscribers grow. The new projects also bolster the fact that the bulk of the streamer’s Italian productions are not high end and have a primarily local focus.
During a Rome presentation Eleonora Andreatta – affectionately known as Tinny – who is Netflix’s VP of Italian originals, said that Netflix remains “committed to our investment in Italy and Italian stories with conviction, continuing our long-term commitment to the country and its creative community.”
Andreatta, who owing to having caught Covid-19 was speaking remotely to the packed room, described Netflix’s lineup as being characterised by “Authentic stories, able to speak to the present [and] about the present and [which can] emotionally touch the audience on issues closest to the lives they live.”
According to data released last month by Italy’s...
During a Rome presentation Eleonora Andreatta – affectionately known as Tinny – who is Netflix’s VP of Italian originals, said that Netflix remains “committed to our investment in Italy and Italian stories with conviction, continuing our long-term commitment to the country and its creative community.”
Andreatta, who owing to having caught Covid-19 was speaking remotely to the packed room, described Netflix’s lineup as being characterised by “Authentic stories, able to speak to the present [and] about the present and [which can] emotionally touch the audience on issues closest to the lives they live.”
According to data released last month by Italy’s...
- 9/19/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix unveiled a new lineup of Italian fiction series and feature films at the streamer’s “See What’s Next” event in Rome on Tuesday.
Alongside previously announced shows and returning series, the upcoming slate includes two new feature films and a pair of drama series.
The new films are Il treno dei bambini (The Children’s Train) from director Cristina Comencini (Latin Lover, Don’t Tell) and Fabbricante di lacrime (Maker of Tears) by Alessandro Genovesi (My Big Gay Italian Wedding). The first is an adaptation of the epic bestseller of the same name by Viola Ardone, a based-on-a-true-events tale of the children in post-World War II Italy who were sent from deprivation in the south to live with their families in the north of the country. The second is inspired by Erin Doom’s novel about two very different orphans with similarly traumatic pasts who are adopted together by the same new family.
Alongside previously announced shows and returning series, the upcoming slate includes two new feature films and a pair of drama series.
The new films are Il treno dei bambini (The Children’s Train) from director Cristina Comencini (Latin Lover, Don’t Tell) and Fabbricante di lacrime (Maker of Tears) by Alessandro Genovesi (My Big Gay Italian Wedding). The first is an adaptation of the epic bestseller of the same name by Viola Ardone, a based-on-a-true-events tale of the children in post-World War II Italy who were sent from deprivation in the south to live with their families in the north of the country. The second is inspired by Erin Doom’s novel about two very different orphans with similarly traumatic pasts who are adopted together by the same new family.
- 9/19/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The twisted, dreamy Glasgow underbelly Aaron John McIntyre conjures up in his short film Gomorrah feels like a marriage of Wong Kar-Wai’s hazy visual language and the bleak dark comedic sensibilities of Danny Boyle’s Trainspotting. It’s hard to believe McIntyre made this film as a student as it feels so confident and assured both in the story he’s telling and the means by which he tells it. The plot follows as a recovering addict as he relapses in the pits of Glasgow’s backstreets. We see him wonder about, monologuing with a deep pessimism for the world he has found himself in. It’s a really impressive film that has certainly put McIntyre on our radar as one to watch for the future. For now though, as Gomorrah continues its festival run, Dn caught up with the filmmaker to talk over the creative decision that resulted in his accomplished vision.
- 9/11/2023
- by James Maitre
- Directors Notes
Film programming, like history, doesn’t repeat itself but does rhyme. This is proven by the fact that two highly complementary, equally excellent films about immigration, Me Captain (Io Capitano) and Green Border, both landed in competition at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
Agnieszka Holland’s meticulous Green Border offers a polyphonic examination of the plight of refugees trying to enter the EU through Belarus, but also encompasses the views of local Poles to create a panoramic, intellectually rigorous view of the situation. Italian director Matteo Garrone’s emotionally searing but ultimately uplifting epic, on the other hand, confines itself to the experience of Seydou, a 16-year-old boy from Senegal.
Indelibly played by non-professional Seydou Sarr, offering a remarkably mature performance, he makes his way with his cousin (Moustapha Fall) from their home in West Africa across thousands of miles on a quest to reach Europe. Taking viewers with...
Agnieszka Holland’s meticulous Green Border offers a polyphonic examination of the plight of refugees trying to enter the EU through Belarus, but also encompasses the views of local Poles to create a panoramic, intellectually rigorous view of the situation. Italian director Matteo Garrone’s emotionally searing but ultimately uplifting epic, on the other hand, confines itself to the experience of Seydou, a 16-year-old boy from Senegal.
Indelibly played by non-professional Seydou Sarr, offering a remarkably mature performance, he makes his way with his cousin (Moustapha Fall) from their home in West Africa across thousands of miles on a quest to reach Europe. Taking viewers with...
- 9/7/2023
- by Leslie Felperin
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Editor’s note: This review was originally published at the 2023 Venice Film Festival. Cohen Media Group releases the film in theaters on Friday, February 23.
Like Africa’s “first” film “La Noir De…” (Aka “Black Girl”) (1966), “Io Capitano” begins in Dakar, Senegal. And just as in Ousmane Sembene’s masterpiece, the promise of Europe tempts a young protagonist away from its vibrant streets and warm community to be degraded, dehumanized, and abused. While “La Noir De…” saw a young woman arrive in Antibes, only to find life there a brutal and cruel nightmare that she cannot bear, “Io Capitano” follows 16-year-old Seydou and his cousin Moussa on a tortuous journey just to reach Italy’s shores.
From Italian director Matteo Garrone, best unknown for the unflinching Mafia thriller “Gomorrah,” which saw Naples become a hellish war zone, his latest is the first that sees Italy from an outsider’s perspective, gazing...
Like Africa’s “first” film “La Noir De…” (Aka “Black Girl”) (1966), “Io Capitano” begins in Dakar, Senegal. And just as in Ousmane Sembene’s masterpiece, the promise of Europe tempts a young protagonist away from its vibrant streets and warm community to be degraded, dehumanized, and abused. While “La Noir De…” saw a young woman arrive in Antibes, only to find life there a brutal and cruel nightmare that she cannot bear, “Io Capitano” follows 16-year-old Seydou and his cousin Moussa on a tortuous journey just to reach Italy’s shores.
From Italian director Matteo Garrone, best unknown for the unflinching Mafia thriller “Gomorrah,” which saw Naples become a hellish war zone, his latest is the first that sees Italy from an outsider’s perspective, gazing...
- 9/7/2023
- by Leila Latif
- Indiewire
Italian genre specialist Stefano Sollima – who is known in Hollywood for “Sicario: Day of the Soldado,” “Without Remorse” and the TV series “Gomorrah” – is in the Venice competition for the first time with Rome-set crime drama “Adagio.”
This beautifully shot picture features an ensemble cast of Italian A-listers comprising Pierfrancesco Favino (“Nostalgia”), Toni Servillo (“The Great Beauty”), Valerio Mastandrea (“Perfect Strangers”) and Adriano Giannini (“The Ties”). It’s the tale of three old – and once mighty – mobsters searching for redemption in a cutthroat contemporary Rome that is literally burning. They find it in the form of a 16 year old named Manuel who is being blackmailed after venturing too deep in a rotting Roman underworld world that he doesn’t understand.
You often work from books such as “Gomorrah” but this is your original idea. How did it germinate?
“Adagio” – this is no secret – is a gift that I made to myself.
This beautifully shot picture features an ensemble cast of Italian A-listers comprising Pierfrancesco Favino (“Nostalgia”), Toni Servillo (“The Great Beauty”), Valerio Mastandrea (“Perfect Strangers”) and Adriano Giannini (“The Ties”). It’s the tale of three old – and once mighty – mobsters searching for redemption in a cutthroat contemporary Rome that is literally burning. They find it in the form of a 16 year old named Manuel who is being blackmailed after venturing too deep in a rotting Roman underworld world that he doesn’t understand.
You often work from books such as “Gomorrah” but this is your original idea. How did it germinate?
“Adagio” – this is no secret – is a gift that I made to myself.
- 9/7/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
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