Sky Italia celebrated its 20-year anniversary on Tuesday by announcing a rich slate of upcoming originals, including a second season of the Italian adaptation of “Call My Agent,” which will see “The White Lotus” star Sabrina Impacciatore joining the cast.
Impacciatore’s agent is Gersh and her management is Mgmt.
The Sky Italia originals slate comprises previously announced high-end drama “M. Son of the Century” by British director Joe Wright, alongside less lavish shows in various stages – most of which have international potential. It underscores how the Italian unit of the Comcast-owned pay-tv service continues to be a major Italian industry driver.
While Sky’s German unit, which is believed to be up for sale, has put production on pause, Sky Italia is cranking out Italian originals through the platform’s Sky Studios unit at a steady pace, showing no signs of a slowdown.
“We are at the level...
Impacciatore’s agent is Gersh and her management is Mgmt.
The Sky Italia originals slate comprises previously announced high-end drama “M. Son of the Century” by British director Joe Wright, alongside less lavish shows in various stages – most of which have international potential. It underscores how the Italian unit of the Comcast-owned pay-tv service continues to be a major Italian industry driver.
While Sky’s German unit, which is believed to be up for sale, has put production on pause, Sky Italia is cranking out Italian originals through the platform’s Sky Studios unit at a steady pace, showing no signs of a slowdown.
“We are at the level...
- 7/4/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Italy’s storied Titanus studio, producers of myriad golden era Cinema Italiano works, is getting a reboot and reviving its production side with several projects in development, including a contemporary sequel of Dario Argento’s supernatural chiller “Phenomena.”
Established in 1904 by Gustavo Lombardo, Titanus was a true Italian major, which during the 1960s forged a partnership with MGM. They slowed down considerably from the mid-1960s onwards after Luchino Visconti’s lavish Sicily-set costumer “The Leopard” (1963), starring Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale and Alain Delon, went way over budget. Since the mid-1980s the studio’s output has been on a much smaller scale, and primarily for TV.
Now led by former Disney Italy marketing chief Stefano Bethlen, who is Titanus’ general manager, the company – which has a 400-title library comprising early works by Italian masters such as Federico Fellini, and Visconti classics, alongside plenty of genre fare – is ramping up...
Established in 1904 by Gustavo Lombardo, Titanus was a true Italian major, which during the 1960s forged a partnership with MGM. They slowed down considerably from the mid-1960s onwards after Luchino Visconti’s lavish Sicily-set costumer “The Leopard” (1963), starring Burt Lancaster, Claudia Cardinale and Alain Delon, went way over budget. Since the mid-1980s the studio’s output has been on a much smaller scale, and primarily for TV.
Now led by former Disney Italy marketing chief Stefano Bethlen, who is Titanus’ general manager, the company – which has a 400-title library comprising early works by Italian masters such as Federico Fellini, and Visconti classics, alongside plenty of genre fare – is ramping up...
- 10/16/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Following “Gomorrah” and “The Young Pope,” Sky continues to bring to the screen fresh edgy TV series with “The King,” which is Italy’s first prison drama but transcends genre tropes to recount the country’s complex way of contending with evil forces, including terrorism.
The dark skein, currently playing in Italy on Comcast-owned Sky’s pay-tv service –– and premiering internationally in competition at Series Mania –– is the brainchild of Italian A-list actor Luca Zingaretti, best known as the titular character in Italy’s widely exported “Inspector Montalbano” series.
After playing a a simpatico Mafia-fighting Sicilian sleuth in “Montalbano,” Zingaretti “wanted to do a show set in an Italian maximum security penitentiary and play a character who was the head of this jail,” says “The King” producer Lorenzo Mieli.
Zingaretti’s character, named Bruno Testori, is the “supreme ruler” of the San Michele penitentiary, which is packed with hard...
The dark skein, currently playing in Italy on Comcast-owned Sky’s pay-tv service –– and premiering internationally in competition at Series Mania –– is the brainchild of Italian A-list actor Luca Zingaretti, best known as the titular character in Italy’s widely exported “Inspector Montalbano” series.
After playing a a simpatico Mafia-fighting Sicilian sleuth in “Montalbano,” Zingaretti “wanted to do a show set in an Italian maximum security penitentiary and play a character who was the head of this jail,” says “The King” producer Lorenzo Mieli.
Zingaretti’s character, named Bruno Testori, is the “supreme ruler” of the San Michele penitentiary, which is packed with hard...
- 3/19/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Italy’s Stand By Me and Rai have partnered on “The General’s Men,” a high-end drama that delves into the country’s battle against Red Brigades terrorism by portraying a special paramilitary unit set up by a high-ranking police official played by Sergio Castellitto.
Castellitto (first look image above) plays General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, the heroic chief of the Carabinieri paramilitary police force who in 1974 set up the Nucleo Speciale Antiterrorismo, a unit of elite young officers, to fight Red Brigades terrorists who were running rampage. In 1978 the Red Brigades abducted and killed then Italian prime minister Aldo Moro.
“They are all young [both the terrorists and the elite police officers] and they represent two distinct groups who have decided to be on different sides of history,” said Stand By Me chief Simona Ercolani.
“The show’s underlying theme is the defense of democracy, which is very timely,” she added.
The eight-episode show directed by Lucio Pellegrini...
Castellitto (first look image above) plays General Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa, the heroic chief of the Carabinieri paramilitary police force who in 1974 set up the Nucleo Speciale Antiterrorismo, a unit of elite young officers, to fight Red Brigades terrorists who were running rampage. In 1978 the Red Brigades abducted and killed then Italian prime minister Aldo Moro.
“They are all young [both the terrorists and the elite police officers] and they represent two distinct groups who have decided to be on different sides of history,” said Stand By Me chief Simona Ercolani.
“The show’s underlying theme is the defense of democracy, which is very timely,” she added.
The eight-episode show directed by Lucio Pellegrini...
- 3/16/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
European pay-tv operator Sky has greenlit production of Italian prison drama “The King,” toplining Luca Zingaretti, best known as the titular character in the popular “Inspector Montalbano” series.
In “The King” Zingaretti will play Buno Testori, chief of the San Michele penitentiary, where “he applies his own personal idea of justice,” according to a Sky synopsis. The innovative show is being produced for Sky by Lorenzo Mieli’s shingle The Apartment in collaboration with Wildside, producer of “The New Pope” and “My Brilliant Friend.” Both are Fremantle-owned companies.
Shooting on the eight-episode series, directed by Giuseppe Gagliardi (“1992”), is expected to start by early next year in Rome, Turin, and Trieste locations. Fremantle is handling international sales.
The screenplay of “The King” is penned by Stefano Bises (“Gomorrah”), Peppe Fiore (“The Young Pope”), Bernardo Pellegrini (“Non Uccidere), and Davide Serino (“The Comedians”).
According to the Sky synopsis, the San Michele...
In “The King” Zingaretti will play Buno Testori, chief of the San Michele penitentiary, where “he applies his own personal idea of justice,” according to a Sky synopsis. The innovative show is being produced for Sky by Lorenzo Mieli’s shingle The Apartment in collaboration with Wildside, producer of “The New Pope” and “My Brilliant Friend.” Both are Fremantle-owned companies.
Shooting on the eight-episode series, directed by Giuseppe Gagliardi (“1992”), is expected to start by early next year in Rome, Turin, and Trieste locations. Fremantle is handling international sales.
The screenplay of “The King” is penned by Stefano Bises (“Gomorrah”), Peppe Fiore (“The Young Pope”), Bernardo Pellegrini (“Non Uccidere), and Davide Serino (“The Comedians”).
According to the Sky synopsis, the San Michele...
- 9/18/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Sky Italia has ordered prison drama Il Re (The King), which will star Italian actor Luca Zingaretti, well known locally for the Inspector Montalbano series.
The Italian-language series will be set in the prison of San Michele where Bruno Testori (Zingaretti), the director, applies his own personal idea of justice. While outside the prison his life is far from ordered, inside he is the absolute ruler. But when his kingdom unexpectedly comes under threat, Testori finds himself fighting the most difficult war of his life.
Producing will be Lorenzo Mieli and his new banner The Apartment, together with local production power and sister company Wildside, both of which are part of the Fremantle group. Wildside, of which Mieli was a co-founder, has produced shows including We Are Who We Are, The New Pope and My Brilliant Friend.
The eight-episode series will be directed by Giuseppe Gagliardi (1992) from a screenplay by Stefano Bises,...
The Italian-language series will be set in the prison of San Michele where Bruno Testori (Zingaretti), the director, applies his own personal idea of justice. While outside the prison his life is far from ordered, inside he is the absolute ruler. But when his kingdom unexpectedly comes under threat, Testori finds himself fighting the most difficult war of his life.
Producing will be Lorenzo Mieli and his new banner The Apartment, together with local production power and sister company Wildside, both of which are part of the Fremantle group. Wildside, of which Mieli was a co-founder, has produced shows including We Are Who We Are, The New Pope and My Brilliant Friend.
The eight-episode series will be directed by Giuseppe Gagliardi (1992) from a screenplay by Stefano Bises,...
- 9/18/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
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