Ed Westwick (“Gossip Girl”), John Hannah (“The Mummy”) and British newcomer Alanah Bloor are set to join Turkish lead Can Yaman in “Sandokan,” Lux Vide’s reboot of the cult Italian TV series about the adventures of its titular pirate who, with his motley crew, fights against colonial powers in Southeast Asia.
Shooting is set to start April 22 outside Rome on this high-end reboot of Italian writer Emilio Salgari’s exotic epic. The original “Sandokan,” directed in 1976 by Sergio Sollima, catapulted Indian actor Kabir Bedi to Bollywood stardom, having sold to more than 85 countries around the world.
Fremantle-owned Lux Vide’s new spin on the storied “Sandokan” IP is based on an idea by Lux Vide CEO Luca Bernabei developed for TV by Alessandro Sermoneta (“Devils”); Scott Rosenbaum (“The Shield”); Davide Lantieri (“Monterossi”) and directed by Jan Maria Michelini (“Devils”) and Nicola Abbatangelo (“Doc”).
In an unusual arrangement, “Sandokan...
Shooting is set to start April 22 outside Rome on this high-end reboot of Italian writer Emilio Salgari’s exotic epic. The original “Sandokan,” directed in 1976 by Sergio Sollima, catapulted Indian actor Kabir Bedi to Bollywood stardom, having sold to more than 85 countries around the world.
Fremantle-owned Lux Vide’s new spin on the storied “Sandokan” IP is based on an idea by Lux Vide CEO Luca Bernabei developed for TV by Alessandro Sermoneta (“Devils”); Scott Rosenbaum (“The Shield”); Davide Lantieri (“Monterossi”) and directed by Jan Maria Michelini (“Devils”) and Nicola Abbatangelo (“Doc”).
In an unusual arrangement, “Sandokan...
- 4/18/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Prime Video has announced the full cast for action comedy show “Costiera” set on Italy’s iconic Amalfi Coast being directed by Emmy-winner Adam Bernstein and featuring Jesse Williams (“Take Me Out”) as the lead.
The ensemble cast for the English-language series being co-produced by Amazon Studios and Luca Bernabei for Lux Vide comprises British actor Jordan Alexandra; Spain’s Alejandra Onieva (“Alta Mar”); Italy’s Maria Chiara Giannetta (“Blanca”); Antonio Gerardi; Tommaso Ragno (“Nostalgia”); Amanda Campana; Pierpaolo Spollon; Britain’s Sam Haygarth (“Jojo Rabbit”); and France’s Jean-Hugues Anglade (“Sink or Swim”).
In “Costiera” – which started shooting in Italy in late February and is expected to wrap at the end of May – Williams is playing an Italian-American former Marine named Daniel De Luca, who is a problem solver in one of the most exclusive hotels in the world in the picturesque Amalfi Coast town of Positano. He is a...
The ensemble cast for the English-language series being co-produced by Amazon Studios and Luca Bernabei for Lux Vide comprises British actor Jordan Alexandra; Spain’s Alejandra Onieva (“Alta Mar”); Italy’s Maria Chiara Giannetta (“Blanca”); Antonio Gerardi; Tommaso Ragno (“Nostalgia”); Amanda Campana; Pierpaolo Spollon; Britain’s Sam Haygarth (“Jojo Rabbit”); and France’s Jean-Hugues Anglade (“Sink or Swim”).
In “Costiera” – which started shooting in Italy in late February and is expected to wrap at the end of May – Williams is playing an Italian-American former Marine named Daniel De Luca, who is a problem solver in one of the most exclusive hotels in the world in the picturesque Amalfi Coast town of Positano. He is a...
- 4/10/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
“Grey’s Anatomy” star Jesse Williams is set to lead Prime Video’s Italian original “Costiera” which unfolds on Italy’s iconic Amalfi Coast.
The high-end show is an English-language action-drama with comedic elements directed by Emmy winner Adam Bernstein, which is currently shooting on location.
In “Costiera,” Williams is playing an Italian-American former Marine named Daniel De Luca, who is a problem solver in one of the most exclusive hotels in the world in Positano. He is a guest of the owner because Dd, as everyone knows him, is the only person who caught a glimpse of the man who may have kidnapped his daughter, and therefore is the only person who may be able to hunt the kidnapper down. Aside from that storyline, Dd basically solves a case in each episode.
“Costiera” is being co-produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Luca Bernabei for Lux Vide, the Fremantle-owned Italian...
The high-end show is an English-language action-drama with comedic elements directed by Emmy winner Adam Bernstein, which is currently shooting on location.
In “Costiera,” Williams is playing an Italian-American former Marine named Daniel De Luca, who is a problem solver in one of the most exclusive hotels in the world in Positano. He is a guest of the owner because Dd, as everyone knows him, is the only person who caught a glimpse of the man who may have kidnapped his daughter, and therefore is the only person who may be able to hunt the kidnapper down. Aside from that storyline, Dd basically solves a case in each episode.
“Costiera” is being co-produced by Amazon MGM Studios and Luca Bernabei for Lux Vide, the Fremantle-owned Italian...
- 2/27/2024
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Only Murders in the Building star Jesse Williams has taken the lead role in Costiera, an original drama for Prime Video Italy.
Williams will play Daniel De Luca, a half-Italian former U.S. marine who returns to Italy, his childhood home, as a fixer in a luxury hotel where one of the owner’s daughters disappears. He must find her and bring her home, while sorting the ever-changing problems of the exclusive hotel guests.
Production on Costiera on Italy’s Amalfi Coast follows the success of the second season of The White Lotus, the HBO Max series also set in a luxury hotel in the same picturesque region of Italy.
Emmy winner Adam Bernstein (Breaking Bad, 30 Rock) will direct the English-language action comedy. The co-producers are Amazon MGM Studios, which retains the distribution rights for Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, and Fremantle’s Lux Vide, which will handle global...
Williams will play Daniel De Luca, a half-Italian former U.S. marine who returns to Italy, his childhood home, as a fixer in a luxury hotel where one of the owner’s daughters disappears. He must find her and bring her home, while sorting the ever-changing problems of the exclusive hotel guests.
Production on Costiera on Italy’s Amalfi Coast follows the success of the second season of The White Lotus, the HBO Max series also set in a luxury hotel in the same picturesque region of Italy.
Emmy winner Adam Bernstein (Breaking Bad, 30 Rock) will direct the English-language action comedy. The co-producers are Amazon MGM Studios, which retains the distribution rights for Italy, France, Spain and Portugal, and Fremantle’s Lux Vide, which will handle global...
- 2/27/2024
- by Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Jesse Williams will produce and star in Prime Video’s Costiera, an Italian action-drama series filmed in English and directed by Emmy award winner Adam Bernstein. The series is currently in production.
Williams will play Daniel De Luca, a half-Italian former U.S. marine who returns to Italy, the land of his childhood, as a fixer in one of the world’s most luxurious hotels on the spectacular Positano coastline. Synopsis reads: “Shortly after Daniel, or Dd as everybody knows him, starts working at the hotel, one of the owner’s daughters disappears. He must do whatever it takes to find her and bring her home while still solving the ever-changing problems of the exclusive hotel guests.”
Based on an idea by Luca Bernabei, written by Elena Bucaccio, Matthew Parkhill, and Francesco Arlanch, the series is co-produced by Amazon MGM...
Williams will play Daniel De Luca, a half-Italian former U.S. marine who returns to Italy, the land of his childhood, as a fixer in one of the world’s most luxurious hotels on the spectacular Positano coastline. Synopsis reads: “Shortly after Daniel, or Dd as everybody knows him, starts working at the hotel, one of the owner’s daughters disappears. He must do whatever it takes to find her and bring her home while still solving the ever-changing problems of the exclusive hotel guests.”
Based on an idea by Luca Bernabei, written by Elena Bucaccio, Matthew Parkhill, and Francesco Arlanch, the series is co-produced by Amazon MGM...
- 2/27/2024
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
“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
The Walking Dead producer Gale Anne Hurd has called for U.S. and European countries to strike formal co-production agreements to support indie films and TV shows.
“There are no co-production agreements between U.S. and European countries, so what many of us have done is partner with countries that do have them, like Canada and the UK,” said Hurd at the Audio-Visual Producers Summit in Italy. “That’s what I’ve been doing: putting those pieces together. Can we today move to find legitimnate co-production agreements between the U.S. and European countries?”
The Valhalla Entertainment founder and Terminator producer revealed she had “struggled for a year” to get distribution for her latest film project The YouTube Effect, in a tough environment for indie productions. “Everyone turned us down but we went ahead anyway because we had supportive financiers who believed in the project and now we’re in distribution,...
“There are no co-production agreements between U.S. and European countries, so what many of us have done is partner with countries that do have them, like Canada and the UK,” said Hurd at the Audio-Visual Producers Summit in Italy. “That’s what I’ve been doing: putting those pieces together. Can we today move to find legitimnate co-production agreements between the U.S. and European countries?”
The Valhalla Entertainment founder and Terminator producer revealed she had “struggled for a year” to get distribution for her latest film project The YouTube Effect, in a tough environment for indie productions. “Everyone turned us down but we went ahead anyway because we had supportive financiers who believed in the project and now we’re in distribution,...
- 7/20/2023
- by Jesse Whittock
- Deadline Film + TV
Italy’s Fremantle-owned Lux Vide production powerhouse is expanding its in-house studio capacity, unveiling a large new soundstage on Monday at its facilities in Formello outside Rome which will become a major new European physical production hub.
Plans are underway for a total of seven state-of-the-art stages, plus a new post-production facility to be in place at Formello by year’s end creating a sprawling Lux Video studio area on more than 6,500 square meters of space including the backlot.
Lux Vide’s new Teatro 5 measuring more than 1150 square meters was inaugurated with Italy’s deputy culture minister Lucia Bergonzoni and other local authorities on hand alongside Lux CEO Luca Bernabei, Andrea Scrosati, Fremantle’s group COO and CEO continental Europe, and Lux’s honorary president Matilde Bernabei.
The studios will be used mainly by Lux Vide and Fremantle sister companies, which comprise Wildside and The Apartment in Italy. But...
Plans are underway for a total of seven state-of-the-art stages, plus a new post-production facility to be in place at Formello by year’s end creating a sprawling Lux Video studio area on more than 6,500 square meters of space including the backlot.
Lux Vide’s new Teatro 5 measuring more than 1150 square meters was inaugurated with Italy’s deputy culture minister Lucia Bergonzoni and other local authorities on hand alongside Lux CEO Luca Bernabei, Andrea Scrosati, Fremantle’s group COO and CEO continental Europe, and Lux’s honorary president Matilde Bernabei.
The studios will be used mainly by Lux Vide and Fremantle sister companies, which comprise Wildside and The Apartment in Italy. But...
- 6/12/2023
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Italy’s Lux Vide has unveiled first-look images of the second series of “Good Morning Mom,” starring Raoul Bova and Maria Chiara Giannetta.
The show, which debuted in 2021, sees Bova as a father who tries to keep his family together after his wife falls into a coma. But her presence, albeit a silent one, is still very important to everyone around her.
The first season sold to multiple territories, including Hungary, Croatia, Brazil and Mena territories.
Everything will change for the Borghis in the show’s second outing, promises Lux Vide’s chief Luca Bernabei at Mipcom, with the audience treated to a new mystery and finally able to discover details about their complicated past.
“Something big happens to this family. It’s like an atomic bomb, dropping on all of them. This season, everything will be different.”
Bernabei, fresh off announcing his company’s move into unscripted, calls “Good...
The show, which debuted in 2021, sees Bova as a father who tries to keep his family together after his wife falls into a coma. But her presence, albeit a silent one, is still very important to everyone around her.
The first season sold to multiple territories, including Hungary, Croatia, Brazil and Mena territories.
Everything will change for the Borghis in the show’s second outing, promises Lux Vide’s chief Luca Bernabei at Mipcom, with the audience treated to a new mystery and finally able to discover details about their complicated past.
“Something big happens to this family. It’s like an atomic bomb, dropping on all of them. This season, everything will be different.”
Bernabei, fresh off announcing his company’s move into unscripted, calls “Good...
- 10/20/2022
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
TikTok stars are landing production deals two at a time.
This week, news arrived of two different programs that both feature TikTok stars in prominent roles. The upcoming shows unite condiment queen Claire Dinhut and trainspotter Francis Burgeois with European broadcasters.
Dinhut, who is known as Condiment Claire on TikTok, will be paired up with chef Max Mariola for an exploration of regional Italian cuisine. The show, which has the self-explanatory title Italian Food Tour, comes from Rome-based production company Lux Vide.
Lux Vide CEO Luca Bernabei told Variety that the show has a simple premise. “Max loves to cook, Claire loves to eat,” he said. It’s perfect.”
“By going to all these different regions, I started to understand how certain combinations come to life,” Dinhut added. “Why pesto in Liguria is made from basil and the one in Sicily from pistachio.”
It’s fitting that Dinhut’s official...
This week, news arrived of two different programs that both feature TikTok stars in prominent roles. The upcoming shows unite condiment queen Claire Dinhut and trainspotter Francis Burgeois with European broadcasters.
Dinhut, who is known as Condiment Claire on TikTok, will be paired up with chef Max Mariola for an exploration of regional Italian cuisine. The show, which has the self-explanatory title Italian Food Tour, comes from Rome-based production company Lux Vide.
Lux Vide CEO Luca Bernabei told Variety that the show has a simple premise. “Max loves to cook, Claire loves to eat,” he said. It’s perfect.”
“By going to all these different regions, I started to understand how certain combinations come to life,” Dinhut added. “Why pesto in Liguria is made from basil and the one in Sicily from pistachio.”
It’s fitting that Dinhut’s official...
- 10/14/2022
- by Sam Gutelle
- Tubefilter.com
Italian production company Lux Vide, also behind “Medici” and “Leonardo,” will make its first move into unscripted TV with “Italian Food Tour.”
TikTok’s “Condiment Claire” Dinhut and chef Max Mariola will co-host the 12-episode show, exploring culinary – and cultural – characteristics of various Italian regions.
Introduced to international buyers during Mia Market, “Italian Food Tour” will start shooting in the spring. Antonio Azzalini has been tapped as showrunner.
“At Lux Vide, we like to promote our country. Also because Italians are so bad at marketing,” CEO Luca Bernabei tells Variety at the show’s unveiling in Rome. The company was acquired by Fremantle in March.
“Our productions take place in different spots in Italy because we try to take advantage of its beauty. Now, we will go everywhere from Palermo to Naples and Florence, experiencing all these cities and the food they have to offer.”
Finding the right people who...
TikTok’s “Condiment Claire” Dinhut and chef Max Mariola will co-host the 12-episode show, exploring culinary – and cultural – characteristics of various Italian regions.
Introduced to international buyers during Mia Market, “Italian Food Tour” will start shooting in the spring. Antonio Azzalini has been tapped as showrunner.
“At Lux Vide, we like to promote our country. Also because Italians are so bad at marketing,” CEO Luca Bernabei tells Variety at the show’s unveiling in Rome. The company was acquired by Fremantle in March.
“Our productions take place in different spots in Italy because we try to take advantage of its beauty. Now, we will go everywhere from Palermo to Naples and Florence, experiencing all these cities and the food they have to offer.”
Finding the right people who...
- 10/14/2022
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
Last year Andrea Scrosati – who is group COO and continental Europe CEO of Fremantle – was at Venice with two films. This year Fremantle’s got six pics launching from the Lido, three of them in competition, which is a larger contingent than any of the U.S. studios or streamers.
Fremantle’s business model, which involves a cluster of companies mostly across Europe that they either fully own or are majority investors in, has been bearing fruit on their film side. Their output has grown “from 8 to 32 delivered movies in two years,” Scrosati says.
And the multi-pronged company’s Venice lineup – which includes Luca Guadagnino’s “Bones and All,” Emanuele Crialese’s “L’Immensità,” and Joanna Hogg’s “The Eternal Daughter” – is a reflection of that.
Scrosati spoke to Variety in Venice about his vision for how Fremantle is spawning a wide range of films from its organic agglomeration of companies.
Fremantle’s business model, which involves a cluster of companies mostly across Europe that they either fully own or are majority investors in, has been bearing fruit on their film side. Their output has grown “from 8 to 32 delivered movies in two years,” Scrosati says.
And the multi-pronged company’s Venice lineup – which includes Luca Guadagnino’s “Bones and All,” Emanuele Crialese’s “L’Immensità,” and Joanna Hogg’s “The Eternal Daughter” – is a reflection of that.
Scrosati spoke to Variety in Venice about his vision for how Fremantle is spawning a wide range of films from its organic agglomeration of companies.
- 9/5/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Luca Bernabei, CEO of Italian production powerhouse Lux Vide behind TV hits like The CW’s “Devils,” made the decision in March to sell the majority stake in his family-owned company to international distribution giant Fremantle. The acquisition is part of Fremantle’s global push into scripted content after being known primarily for reality TV hits such as “American Idol” and “America’s Got Talent.” Bernabei sees the acquisition as the right decision — especially as we’re approaching what many financial analysts believe will be some rough economic times ahead. “They are putting together a kind of federation of producers, really good producers, from all over the world, from the U.K., Israel, Italy, France,” the CEO told TheWrap for this week’s Office With a View. “So this is, to me, a smart idea for doing business, because usually producers don’t get along so well,” he continued. “I mean,...
- 6/3/2022
- by Katie Campione
- The Wrap
Italy’s Lux Vide, the production company behind “Medici” and financial thriller “Devils,” is now scoring a global hit with its medical procedural “Doc,” the second season of which had its French launch at the Series Mania fest.
“Doc,” which turns on a prominent physician who, following a head injury, suffers a permanent partial memory loss but still finds a new way to practice his profession, has been sold as a ready made to a slew of territories, including Australia, Canada, Venezuela, the Netherlands and Nigeria. The Italian version has already aired in France (TF1), Australia (Sbs), Spain (Axn) and Portugal (Axn), while a local adaptation played in the Czech Republic.
The “Doc” format, as previously reported, has been sold by Lux Vide to Sony Pictures Television for global distribution. And Spt Studios is developing a U.S. adaptation of the show.
In Italy, the final episode of “Doc” Season...
“Doc,” which turns on a prominent physician who, following a head injury, suffers a permanent partial memory loss but still finds a new way to practice his profession, has been sold as a ready made to a slew of territories, including Australia, Canada, Venezuela, the Netherlands and Nigeria. The Italian version has already aired in France (TF1), Australia (Sbs), Spain (Axn) and Portugal (Axn), while a local adaptation played in the Czech Republic.
The “Doc” format, as previously reported, has been sold by Lux Vide to Sony Pictures Television for global distribution. And Spt Studios is developing a U.S. adaptation of the show.
In Italy, the final episode of “Doc” Season...
- 3/25/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Good afternoon Insider team. Max Goldbart back in the saddle for your weekly dose of news as the Russia/Ukraine invasion continues to have huge ramifications for the film and TV world and vice versa.
The Latest From Ukraine
World moves against Russia: It’s been genuinely hard to keep track of goings on over the past seven days as we enter the second week of the conflict but the film and TV world (not to mention sport) has acted. Major distributors BBC Studios, ITV Studios, All3Media International, Fremantle and Banijay have all paused trade with Russia. Film and TV markets including Mip TV, NATPE, Cannes and Series Mania have effectively barred official Russian presence. The general response from film festivals such as Venice, Toronto and the Cannes sidebars have been to ban presences but not movies, although some including Glasgow and Stockholm have pulled Russian pics. The European Film Academy...
The Latest From Ukraine
World moves against Russia: It’s been genuinely hard to keep track of goings on over the past seven days as we enter the second week of the conflict but the film and TV world (not to mention sport) has acted. Major distributors BBC Studios, ITV Studios, All3Media International, Fremantle and Banijay have all paused trade with Russia. Film and TV markets including Mip TV, NATPE, Cannes and Series Mania have effectively barred official Russian presence. The general response from film festivals such as Venice, Toronto and the Cannes sidebars have been to ban presences but not movies, although some including Glasgow and Stockholm have pulled Russian pics. The European Film Academy...
- 3/4/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Luca Bernabei to remain as chief executive of Italian company.
Global TV producer and distributor Fremantle has acquired a majority stake in Lux Vide, the Italian production company behind drama series Medici, Devils and Leonardo.
The super-indie has bought 70% of the Rome-based firm, founded by Ettore and Matilde Bernabei in 1992.The remaining 30% will remain with the Bernabei family.
The couple’s son and chief executive Luca Bernabei will continue in the role following the deal, which was brokered by Andrea Scrosati, group chief operating officer and chief executive of continental Europe for Fremantle.
Over its 30-year history, Lux Vide has...
Global TV producer and distributor Fremantle has acquired a majority stake in Lux Vide, the Italian production company behind drama series Medici, Devils and Leonardo.
The super-indie has bought 70% of the Rome-based firm, founded by Ettore and Matilde Bernabei in 1992.The remaining 30% will remain with the Bernabei family.
The couple’s son and chief executive Luca Bernabei will continue in the role following the deal, which was brokered by Andrea Scrosati, group chief operating officer and chief executive of continental Europe for Fremantle.
Over its 30-year history, Lux Vide has...
- 3/4/2022
- by John Elmes Broadcast
- ScreenDaily
Fremantle has acquired 70% of Lux Vide, the 30-year-old Italian producer of Medici, Leonardo and Coco Chanel.
Under the deal, which forms part of Fremantle’s growth plan to invest in global scripted indies, the founding Bernabei family will retain the remaining 30%.
Luca Bernabei will continue as CEO and Fremantle Group COO Andrea Scrosati will become Chairman, with Matilde Bernabei taking an Honorary Chairman post and serving on the Management Board.
Founded in 1992, Lux Vide has gone on to produce more than 1,300 hours of primetime scripted content viewed in 144 countries.
The company became the first in Italy to win an Emmy for Joseph from The Bible Collection and picked up Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for co-produced Coco Chanel. Other big-budget credits include Netflix’s Medici starring Dustin Hoffman, Richard Madden and Sean Bean, Amazon Prime’s Leonardo starring Aidan Turner and Matilda De Angelis and Devils, the high-stakes financial thriller...
Under the deal, which forms part of Fremantle’s growth plan to invest in global scripted indies, the founding Bernabei family will retain the remaining 30%.
Luca Bernabei will continue as CEO and Fremantle Group COO Andrea Scrosati will become Chairman, with Matilde Bernabei taking an Honorary Chairman post and serving on the Management Board.
Founded in 1992, Lux Vide has gone on to produce more than 1,300 hours of primetime scripted content viewed in 144 countries.
The company became the first in Italy to win an Emmy for Joseph from The Bible Collection and picked up Golden Globe and Emmy nominations for co-produced Coco Chanel. Other big-budget credits include Netflix’s Medici starring Dustin Hoffman, Richard Madden and Sean Bean, Amazon Prime’s Leonardo starring Aidan Turner and Matilda De Angelis and Devils, the high-stakes financial thriller...
- 3/3/2022
- by Max Goldbart
- Deadline Film + TV
Fremantle has acquired a 70% stake in Italy’s Lux Vide, the prominent TV production company that has been steadily raising its standing in the international arena, most recently with the high-end TV series “Medici,” “Devils” and “Leonardo.”
The long-gestating Lux Vide deal, which closed on Thursday, marks the latest acquisition by the expanding Rtl-owned production and distribution giant. Fremantle, which has been on a buying spree, now owns or controls a panoply of independently operated production shingles across Europe, as well as in Israel, Australia and the U.S.
Their stated goal is to invest and grow in the global scripted arena where, by their count, Fremantle delivered 81 scripted shows in 2021, including BBC One hit “The Responder,” HBO Max series “Lust,” from Sweden’s Miso Film, and Italian dystopian drama “Anna.”
Previous Fremantle investments include acquiring the 12 former Nent Studios production labels in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark (now...
The long-gestating Lux Vide deal, which closed on Thursday, marks the latest acquisition by the expanding Rtl-owned production and distribution giant. Fremantle, which has been on a buying spree, now owns or controls a panoply of independently operated production shingles across Europe, as well as in Israel, Australia and the U.S.
Their stated goal is to invest and grow in the global scripted arena where, by their count, Fremantle delivered 81 scripted shows in 2021, including BBC One hit “The Responder,” HBO Max series “Lust,” from Sweden’s Miso Film, and Italian dystopian drama “Anna.”
Previous Fremantle investments include acquiring the 12 former Nent Studios production labels in Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark (now...
- 3/3/2022
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Lux Vide, the Italian company behind high-end series “Medici” and “Leonardo,” has scored international sales on high-concept smaller cop show “Blanca” featuring a blind policewoman specialized in an analytical listening and decoding technique that helps her solve tough cases.
The six-part “Blanca” has been sold by Lux to M6, which is France’s number two terrestrial network, and to Spain’s top linear channel Telecinco, ahead of the show’s Nov. 22 Italian launch on pubcaster Rai’s flagship Rai-1 channel.
Lux Vide sales chief Barbara Pavone said that, besides the deals Lux has sealed with France and Spain, she is in advanced talks to sell “Blanca” in the Nordics and Brazil, as well as to a global streamer.
We are already being asked for the format rights as well, she added, “but we are not selling them at this point, because we want to maximize the value of the readymade.
The six-part “Blanca” has been sold by Lux to M6, which is France’s number two terrestrial network, and to Spain’s top linear channel Telecinco, ahead of the show’s Nov. 22 Italian launch on pubcaster Rai’s flagship Rai-1 channel.
Lux Vide sales chief Barbara Pavone said that, besides the deals Lux has sealed with France and Spain, she is in advanced talks to sell “Blanca” in the Nordics and Brazil, as well as to a global streamer.
We are already being asked for the format rights as well, she added, “but we are not selling them at this point, because we want to maximize the value of the readymade.
- 11/19/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The final season of “Ozark” will premiere Jan. 21, 2022 on Netflix with its first seven episodes. The second seven-episode half of the season will then follow later in the year.
“Ozark” follows the Byrde family’s criminal enterprise in the Ozarks. As patriarch Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) put it in the series premiere back in 2017, “Money is, at its essence, that measure of a man’s choices.” That quote is laid over the beginning of a teaser for the final season, implying it will come back to haunt him in the show’s final run.
The final season stars Bateman, Laura Linney, Julia Garner, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner, Charlie Tahan, Jessica Frances Dukes, Lisa Emery, Felix Solis, Damian Young, Alfonso Herrera, Adam Rothenberg, John Bedford Lloyd, Joseph Sikora, Bruno Bichir, Cc Castillo, Katrina Lenk, Bruce Davison, Ali Stroker and Veronica Falcón. The show is executive produced by Chris Mundy, who also serves as showrunner,...
“Ozark” follows the Byrde family’s criminal enterprise in the Ozarks. As patriarch Marty Byrde (Jason Bateman) put it in the series premiere back in 2017, “Money is, at its essence, that measure of a man’s choices.” That quote is laid over the beginning of a teaser for the final season, implying it will come back to haunt him in the show’s final run.
The final season stars Bateman, Laura Linney, Julia Garner, Sofia Hublitz, Skylar Gaertner, Charlie Tahan, Jessica Frances Dukes, Lisa Emery, Felix Solis, Damian Young, Alfonso Herrera, Adam Rothenberg, John Bedford Lloyd, Joseph Sikora, Bruno Bichir, Cc Castillo, Katrina Lenk, Bruce Davison, Ali Stroker and Veronica Falcón. The show is executive produced by Chris Mundy, who also serves as showrunner,...
- 10/19/2021
- by Selome Hailu and Danielle Turchiano
- Variety Film + TV
Andrea Bocelli On The Lido
Upcoming six-part Italian TV series Blanca held a special screening on the sidelines of the Venice Film Festival Monday evening with renown tenor Andrea Bocelli, who acted as artistic advisor, in attendance. See a first-look image above. The Lux Vide production, in association Ria Fiction, is due to air later this year on Rai 1. The story centers on the eponymous young woman who became blind as a child. The loss of her elder sister, at the hands of an abusive boyfriend, pushes her to enter the police force. Her specialty is decodage, an analytical listening technique, but while experiencing challenges at work, she faces sentimental challenges and must decide whom to give her heart and trust. Helping in these adventures are her most trusted friends: guide dog Linnaeus and Stella, a beautician with a very exuberant character. Blanca is billed as the first production...
Upcoming six-part Italian TV series Blanca held a special screening on the sidelines of the Venice Film Festival Monday evening with renown tenor Andrea Bocelli, who acted as artistic advisor, in attendance. See a first-look image above. The Lux Vide production, in association Ria Fiction, is due to air later this year on Rai 1. The story centers on the eponymous young woman who became blind as a child. The loss of her elder sister, at the hands of an abusive boyfriend, pushes her to enter the police force. Her specialty is decodage, an analytical listening technique, but while experiencing challenges at work, she faces sentimental challenges and must decide whom to give her heart and trust. Helping in these adventures are her most trusted friends: guide dog Linnaeus and Stella, a beautician with a very exuberant character. Blanca is billed as the first production...
- 9/7/2021
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Rtl-owned production and distribution giant Fremantle, which has two films in competition in Venice, has entered exclusive negotiations to buy Italy’s Lux Vide, the prominent TV production company behind, most recently, the high-end “Medici,” “Devils” and “Leonardo” skeins.
Sources have confirmed to Variety a report in Italian financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore that Fremantle, which already owns two other Italian production companies — Wildside and The Apartment, the shingle behind Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God” and “America Latina” by the D’Innocenzo brothers — is in advanced talks to buy Lux.
Fremantle and Lux Vide declined to comment on Friday.
The two companies have entered exclusive negotiations which, if all goes well, will take some time to close. The Fremantle/Lux deal is not expected to close this month, as Sole reported, but rather by year’s end. The sale is being managed by global investment bank Gca Altium.
Sources have confirmed to Variety a report in Italian financial daily Il Sole 24 Ore that Fremantle, which already owns two other Italian production companies — Wildside and The Apartment, the shingle behind Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Hand of God” and “America Latina” by the D’Innocenzo brothers — is in advanced talks to buy Lux.
Fremantle and Lux Vide declined to comment on Friday.
The two companies have entered exclusive negotiations which, if all goes well, will take some time to close. The Fremantle/Lux deal is not expected to close this month, as Sole reported, but rather by year’s end. The sale is being managed by global investment bank Gca Altium.
- 9/3/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
In today’s Global Bulletin, Sky announces production for “Devils” season two; Keshet 12 commissions season two of “Line in the Sand”; ITV News’ Robert Moore revisits the Jan. 6 Capitol attacks in “After the Storm: America’s Enemy Within?”; famed Japanese arthouse cinema Uplink Shibuya closes its doors; Happinet Phantom Studio launches in Japan; ABC in Australia commissions surf drama “Barons”; and Komixx Entertainment Australia will produce a pilot for aboriginal drama series “Wirnitj.”
Production
Sky has confirmed that shooting for season two of its original series “Devils” has kicked off in Rome and released first-look images of leads Alessandro Borghi and Patrick Dempsey as they return to their roles in the high-stakes financial thriller.
Season two will see the regular cast, those who survived season one, joined by Li Jun Li (“Damages”), Joel de la Fuente (“The Man in the High Castle”) and Clara Rosanger (“The Rain”). It is directed...
Production
Sky has confirmed that shooting for season two of its original series “Devils” has kicked off in Rome and released first-look images of leads Alessandro Borghi and Patrick Dempsey as they return to their roles in the high-stakes financial thriller.
Season two will see the regular cast, those who survived season one, joined by Li Jun Li (“Damages”), Joel de la Fuente (“The Man in the High Castle”) and Clara Rosanger (“The Rain”). It is directed...
- 4/23/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Following on “Medici: Masters of Florence,” with Dustin Hoffman and Richard Madden, and “Leonardo,” starring Aidan Turner, Italy’s Lux Vide is teaming with ex-Hasbro chief content officer Stephen J. Davis (“Transformers”) to produce what may be its most ambitious production yet: “The Rising.” The English-language historical drama series focuses on what it described as the “human, secular story” of Jesus Christ. The creative team will shortly begin pitching potential U.S. partners.
Executive producer of NBC’s “The Blacklist” and creator and showrunner of HBO’s “Carnivàle,” Daniel Knauf is attached as “The Rising’s” showrunner.
Lux Vide CEO Luca Bernabei and Davis serve as the series’ producers.
“The Rising” will be directed by Italy’s Jan Michelini, who broke through directing episodes of “Medici: Masters of Florence.” Its composer is Carlos Rafael Rivera, best known for writing the score of Netflix hit “The Queen’s Gambit,” and an...
Executive producer of NBC’s “The Blacklist” and creator and showrunner of HBO’s “Carnivàle,” Daniel Knauf is attached as “The Rising’s” showrunner.
Lux Vide CEO Luca Bernabei and Davis serve as the series’ producers.
“The Rising” will be directed by Italy’s Jan Michelini, who broke through directing episodes of “Medici: Masters of Florence.” Its composer is Carlos Rafael Rivera, best known for writing the score of Netflix hit “The Queen’s Gambit,” and an...
- 4/1/2021
- by John Hopewell and Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Hotly anticipated pan-European drama “Leonardo” bowed in Italy Tuesday (March 23) to stellar ratings, scoring a more than 28% prime time audience share on pubcaster Rai’s flagship Rai-1 station and prompting plaudits from Italy’s Culture Minister Dario Franceschini, as well as a huge sigh of relief from its creators, according to showrunner Frank Spotnitz.
The lavish eight-part English-language retelling of the life of Italian master Leonardo da Vinci, played by Aidan Turner (“The Hobbit” franchise) is the first Italian production to receive backing from pan-European co-production initiative The Alliance, created last year by top European public service broadcasters. It is a joint effort between Rai, France Télévisions, Germany’s Zdf, and Spain’s Rtve. Shot during the pandemic, the show is also co-produced and distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Television.
“Leonardo,” directed by Dan Percival (“The Man in the High Castle”) and Alexis Sweet (“Don Matteo”), is produced by Italy...
The lavish eight-part English-language retelling of the life of Italian master Leonardo da Vinci, played by Aidan Turner (“The Hobbit” franchise) is the first Italian production to receive backing from pan-European co-production initiative The Alliance, created last year by top European public service broadcasters. It is a joint effort between Rai, France Télévisions, Germany’s Zdf, and Spain’s Rtve. Shot during the pandemic, the show is also co-produced and distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Television.
“Leonardo,” directed by Dan Percival (“The Man in the High Castle”) and Alexis Sweet (“Don Matteo”), is produced by Italy...
- 3/26/2021
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
In today’s Global Bulletin, Amazon Prime Video U.K. scores Lux Vide’s ‘Leonardo,’ HBO Europe unveils release date and first trailer for Swedish docu-series “Pray, Obey, Kill,” Fremantle begins selling Jemaine Clement and Taika Waititi’s “Wellington Paranormal” internationally, and SharpFutures partners with Sky Studios on the new screenwriting training initiative Flip the Script.
TV
Sony Pictures Television has sealed a deal to send one of this year’s most anticipated period dramas, the pan-European co-produced “Leonardo,” to Amazon Prime Video in the U.K. where it will premiere April 16.
“Leonardo” is an eight-part dramatized retelling of the life of the Italian master Leonardo da Vinci, played by Aidan Turner (“The Hobbit” franchise). The series is produced by Lux Vide and Rai Fiction with Big Light Productions in association with France Télévisions and Rtve in Spain.
Other casting includes “The Good Doctor” and “Bates Motel” star Freddie Highmore...
TV
Sony Pictures Television has sealed a deal to send one of this year’s most anticipated period dramas, the pan-European co-produced “Leonardo,” to Amazon Prime Video in the U.K. where it will premiere April 16.
“Leonardo” is an eight-part dramatized retelling of the life of the Italian master Leonardo da Vinci, played by Aidan Turner (“The Hobbit” franchise). The series is produced by Lux Vide and Rai Fiction with Big Light Productions in association with France Télévisions and Rtve in Spain.
Other casting includes “The Good Doctor” and “Bates Motel” star Freddie Highmore...
- 3/15/2021
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Amazon has taken the UK and Ireland rights to Aidan Turner series, Leonardo, following a deal with Sony Pictures Television. The series on Italian master Leonardo da Vinci will premiere on April 16.
Produced by Italy’s Lux Vide and Rai Fiction alongside Man In The High Castle outfit Big Light Productions, the eight-part series tells the story of the 15th/16th century Italian artist, engineer, and inventor. Turner stars as the great man, while Bates Motel star Freddie Highmore features as a young investigator solving a mystery at the center of the story.
Here’s the logline: “Viewers will learn how Leonardo grew into an unparalleled genius whose work overturned the established order. His restless curiosity flitted between arts, science and technology, driven by a profound quest for knowledge and determined to unfold the mysteries of the world around him. The series attempts to unlock the enigma of this extraordinary man,...
Produced by Italy’s Lux Vide and Rai Fiction alongside Man In The High Castle outfit Big Light Productions, the eight-part series tells the story of the 15th/16th century Italian artist, engineer, and inventor. Turner stars as the great man, while Bates Motel star Freddie Highmore features as a young investigator solving a mystery at the center of the story.
Here’s the logline: “Viewers will learn how Leonardo grew into an unparalleled genius whose work overturned the established order. His restless curiosity flitted between arts, science and technology, driven by a profound quest for knowledge and determined to unfold the mysteries of the world around him. The series attempts to unlock the enigma of this extraordinary man,...
- 3/15/2021
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
For a brief moment in mid-June, the producers of “Leonardo,” the upcoming big-budget series with Aidan Turner (“Poldark”) as the famed inventor, considered shooting the U.K. as renaissance Milan.
Luca Bernabei, CEO of the show’s producer Lux Vide, says the radical option was weighed partly because of spiraling Covid-19 rates and restrictions in Italy, and partly due to Turner’s co-star Freddie Highmore being only available for two weeks before jetting off to Canada to shoot “The Good Doctor.” But Covid was causing a similarly drastic shutdown in the U.K., meaning that in the end, Bernabei and Lux Vide head of production Daniele Passani made the decision to fly Highmore over to Italy and to build the dusty streets of Milan on the company’s backlot outside Rome.
While not every European production entity had the luxury of building their own sets to help solve Covid-19 production problems,...
Luca Bernabei, CEO of the show’s producer Lux Vide, says the radical option was weighed partly because of spiraling Covid-19 rates and restrictions in Italy, and partly due to Turner’s co-star Freddie Highmore being only available for two weeks before jetting off to Canada to shoot “The Good Doctor.” But Covid was causing a similarly drastic shutdown in the U.K., meaning that in the end, Bernabei and Lux Vide head of production Daniele Passani made the decision to fly Highmore over to Italy and to build the dusty streets of Milan on the company’s backlot outside Rome.
While not every European production entity had the luxury of building their own sets to help solve Covid-19 production problems,...
- 1/20/2021
- by Will Thorne
- Variety Film + TV
As 2020 comes to a close, Italy’s TV industry is mourning the recent death of Sara Melodia, who was head of drama at Italy’s prominent TV production company Lux Vide, the outfit behind “Medici,” “Devils” and the upcoming high-end “Leonardo” series.
Melodia, who died of cancer on Dec. 2 at 46, had been instrumental to the quantum leap that Lux — and, by extension, Italian TV as a whole — has made in the international market over the past decade.
Born in Milan, where she studied screenwriting and production at the Università Cattolica, Melodia started out at Lux in 1999 as a junior story editor, cutting her teeth first on ancient Rome mini-series “Augustus” and then on “Don Matteo,” the hit local show about a crime-busting priest that launched in 2000 and still reaps stellar ratings on public broadcaster Rai 20 years and 12 seasons later.
In 2007, when Lux was seeking to break out of national confines...
Melodia, who died of cancer on Dec. 2 at 46, had been instrumental to the quantum leap that Lux — and, by extension, Italian TV as a whole — has made in the international market over the past decade.
Born in Milan, where she studied screenwriting and production at the Università Cattolica, Melodia started out at Lux in 1999 as a junior story editor, cutting her teeth first on ancient Rome mini-series “Augustus” and then on “Don Matteo,” the hit local show about a crime-busting priest that launched in 2000 and still reaps stellar ratings on public broadcaster Rai 20 years and 12 seasons later.
In 2007, when Lux was seeking to break out of national confines...
- 12/29/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Turkish actor Can Yaman is set to a play fictional late 19th-century pirate in a reboot of cult vintage Italian TV series “Sandokan.”
The show is being produced by Lux Vide, the prominent Italian shingle behind “Medici,” “Devils” and the upcoming “Leonardo” skeins.
Based on a series of popular adventure novels penned by Italian author Emilio Salgari, “Sandokan” chronicles the adventures of the titular pirate who, with his motley crew, fights against the colonial power of the Dutch and British empires in Southeast Asia.
The original “Sandokan,” directed in 1976 by Sergio Sollima, catapulted Indian actor Kebir Bedi to Bollywood stardom, having sold to more than 85 countries around the world.
The reboot, which is the brainchild of Lux CEO Luca Bernabei, will pair Yaman — who besides being a star in Turkey has global fans thanks to the popularity of Turkish dramas — with Italian actor Luca Argentero who will play fellow pirate Yanez,...
The show is being produced by Lux Vide, the prominent Italian shingle behind “Medici,” “Devils” and the upcoming “Leonardo” skeins.
Based on a series of popular adventure novels penned by Italian author Emilio Salgari, “Sandokan” chronicles the adventures of the titular pirate who, with his motley crew, fights against the colonial power of the Dutch and British empires in Southeast Asia.
The original “Sandokan,” directed in 1976 by Sergio Sollima, catapulted Indian actor Kebir Bedi to Bollywood stardom, having sold to more than 85 countries around the world.
The reboot, which is the brainchild of Lux CEO Luca Bernabei, will pair Yaman — who besides being a star in Turkey has global fans thanks to the popularity of Turkish dramas — with Italian actor Luca Argentero who will play fellow pirate Yanez,...
- 12/22/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Lux Vide, the Italian producer behind Sky series Devils and the upcoming Leonardo, is rebooting the pirate story Sandokan and is launching a podcast unit.
The Luca Bernabei-led company plans to reimagine Emilio Salgari’s novels, on which a 1976 Sandokan TV series was based, for a modern audience. The story chronicles the adventures of a 19th-century pirate fighting against the colonial power of the Dutch and British empires in South East Asia.
Lux Vide plans to shoot next year and has cast Turkish actor Can Yaman (Daydream) as Sandokan and Italy’s Luca Argentero (Doc) as fellow pirate Yanez. Yaman is already limbering up for the role, according to an update on his Instagram, where he has nearly 8M followers.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Can Yaman (@canyaman)
Sandokan is written by Alessandro Sermoneta (Devils) and Davide Lantieri (The Guest). It will also spotlight strong female characters,...
The Luca Bernabei-led company plans to reimagine Emilio Salgari’s novels, on which a 1976 Sandokan TV series was based, for a modern audience. The story chronicles the adventures of a 19th-century pirate fighting against the colonial power of the Dutch and British empires in South East Asia.
Lux Vide plans to shoot next year and has cast Turkish actor Can Yaman (Daydream) as Sandokan and Italy’s Luca Argentero (Doc) as fellow pirate Yanez. Yaman is already limbering up for the role, according to an update on his Instagram, where he has nearly 8M followers.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Can Yaman (@canyaman)
Sandokan is written by Alessandro Sermoneta (Devils) and Davide Lantieri (The Guest). It will also spotlight strong female characters,...
- 12/22/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Sony Pictures Television plans to create a U.S. television series based on Lux Vide’s Italian drama Doc – Nelle Tue Mani as part of a deal that also hands it the rights to sell the original show internationally.
The Doctor House-meets-The Good Doctor series stars Luca Argentero (Eat Pray Love) as Andrea Fanti, a doctor who suffers a major head injury that wipes 12 years from his memory. Broadcasting on Rai-1, it was the most-watched show on Italian TV in the past 13 years.
Mike Wald, EVP, distribution and networks, Sony Pictures Television, said: “At its core, Doc is a human story with truly universal appeal and the success and acclaim it received in Italy, in this most unprecedented of years, is a testament to its uniqueness and quality. We can’t wait to bring this Italian original to the global marketplace, as well as to work with partners around the world,...
The Doctor House-meets-The Good Doctor series stars Luca Argentero (Eat Pray Love) as Andrea Fanti, a doctor who suffers a major head injury that wipes 12 years from his memory. Broadcasting on Rai-1, it was the most-watched show on Italian TV in the past 13 years.
Mike Wald, EVP, distribution and networks, Sony Pictures Television, said: “At its core, Doc is a human story with truly universal appeal and the success and acclaim it received in Italy, in this most unprecedented of years, is a testament to its uniqueness and quality. We can’t wait to bring this Italian original to the global marketplace, as well as to work with partners around the world,...
- 10/15/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Sony Pictures Television has picked up exclusive format and global distribution rights to “Medici” producer Lux Vide’s hit Italian medical drama “Doc – Nelle Tue Mani”.
Under the deal, Spt Studios will develop a U.S. adaptation of the show, which has scored record ratings on Italy’s public broadcaster Rai. They will also distribute the original Italian version internationally, outside of Italy, alongside potential local-language remakes.
Praised by Italian media as a mix of “House” and “The Good Doctor,” albeit with a distinctive flair, Lux Vide’s “Doc” turns on a prominent physician who, following a head injury, suffers permanent partial memory loss but still finds a new way to practice his profession.
The medical procedural, starring Luca Argentero (“Eat Pray Love”) and directed by Jan Michelini (“Devils”), bowed last March on flagship station Rai-1 during the pandemic, and drew a record-breaking 30% average audience share.
The deal is the...
Under the deal, Spt Studios will develop a U.S. adaptation of the show, which has scored record ratings on Italy’s public broadcaster Rai. They will also distribute the original Italian version internationally, outside of Italy, alongside potential local-language remakes.
Praised by Italian media as a mix of “House” and “The Good Doctor,” albeit with a distinctive flair, Lux Vide’s “Doc” turns on a prominent physician who, following a head injury, suffers permanent partial memory loss but still finds a new way to practice his profession.
The medical procedural, starring Luca Argentero (“Eat Pray Love”) and directed by Jan Michelini (“Devils”), bowed last March on flagship station Rai-1 during the pandemic, and drew a record-breaking 30% average audience share.
The deal is the...
- 10/15/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Good afternoon, and welcome to the latest edition of International Insider. Jake Kanter here. We’ve mined the best of Deadline’s international stories from recent days to bring you a curated look back at the week that was. And if you want to sign up to receive this newsletter straight to your inbox, click here.
The TV Producer Who Vanished
The long read: If you haven’t had time to read this, bookmark it for the weekend. It’s the mysterious and tragic story of Terrence Woods (pictured), who vanished without a trace while filming in Idaho County on Gold Rush: Dave Turin’s Lost Mine, an offshoot of Discovery’s lucrative gold-digging franchise.
What happened: Woods had spent six days filming with Raw TV (a UK producer ultimately co-owned by Discovery and Liberty Global) in an abandoned gold mine when things took an unexpected turn. As night...
The TV Producer Who Vanished
The long read: If you haven’t had time to read this, bookmark it for the weekend. It’s the mysterious and tragic story of Terrence Woods (pictured), who vanished without a trace while filming in Idaho County on Gold Rush: Dave Turin’s Lost Mine, an offshoot of Discovery’s lucrative gold-digging franchise.
What happened: Woods had spent six days filming with Raw TV (a UK producer ultimately co-owned by Discovery and Liberty Global) in an abandoned gold mine when things took an unexpected turn. As night...
- 8/14/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: In March, Italy was the global epicenter of the coronavirus crisis. The world looked on in horror as the nation was ravaged by the disease and life ground to a halt. More than 35,000 people have died in the country. The rest of the world would soon know Italy’s pain.
Amid the destruction wrought by the pandemic, businesses have had to adapt and innovate in order to survive. Devils and Medici producer Lux Vide, one of Europe’s leading independent TV producers, is a shining example of that fortitude. Here, Lux Vide CEO Luca Bernabei tells us how the Italian firm has managed to shoot a remarkable five shows since coming out of lockdown, including their biggest budget project to date: big-canvas international drama Leonardo, starring Aidan Turner.
As we reported today, production has recently wrapped on the Sony-backed English-language series, which heralds from The X-Files and The Man In The High Castle...
Amid the destruction wrought by the pandemic, businesses have had to adapt and innovate in order to survive. Devils and Medici producer Lux Vide, one of Europe’s leading independent TV producers, is a shining example of that fortitude. Here, Lux Vide CEO Luca Bernabei tells us how the Italian firm has managed to shoot a remarkable five shows since coming out of lockdown, including their biggest budget project to date: big-canvas international drama Leonardo, starring Aidan Turner.
As we reported today, production has recently wrapped on the Sony-backed English-language series, which heralds from The X-Files and The Man In The High Castle...
- 8/11/2020
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
High-end drama series “Leonardo,” starring Aidan Turner (“Poldark”) as the Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci has wrapped its Italian shoot after becoming one of the first large-scale productions to resume production during the coronavirus crisis.
The series is co-produced and distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Television. Producers also include Lux Vide with Rai Fiction and Big Light Productions, in association with France Télévisions and Rtve. It is the first Italian production to receive the backing of pan-European co-production initiative The Alliance, created last year by the major European public service broadcasters, Rai, France Télévisions and Zdf.
The series is created by Frank Spotnitz (“Medici”) and Steve Thompson (“Sherlock”) and directed by Dan Percival (“The Man in the High Castle”) and Alexis Sweet (“Don Matteo”).
The cast also includes Giancarlo Giannini (“Catch 22”), Matilda De Angelis (“The Undoing”), Freddie Highmore (“The Good Doctor”), Carlos Cuevas (“Merlì”) and James D’Arcy (“Broadchurch”).
Filming...
The series is co-produced and distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Television. Producers also include Lux Vide with Rai Fiction and Big Light Productions, in association with France Télévisions and Rtve. It is the first Italian production to receive the backing of pan-European co-production initiative The Alliance, created last year by the major European public service broadcasters, Rai, France Télévisions and Zdf.
The series is created by Frank Spotnitz (“Medici”) and Steve Thompson (“Sherlock”) and directed by Dan Percival (“The Man in the High Castle”) and Alexis Sweet (“Don Matteo”).
The cast also includes Giancarlo Giannini (“Catch 22”), Matilda De Angelis (“The Undoing”), Freddie Highmore (“The Good Doctor”), Carlos Cuevas (“Merlì”) and James D’Arcy (“Broadchurch”).
Filming...
- 8/11/2020
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
It's official.
Patrick Dempsey is returning to U.S. TV.
The CW has picked up Devils, an international thriller, that will air as part of the network's pandemic-proof fall schedule.
Devils is an international thriller that follows Massimo Ruggero, the charismatic yet ruthless Head of Trading at Nyl, one of the world’s most important investment banks, and his mentor, Nyl’s CEO Dominic Morgan.
After Dominic appoints another colleague over Massimo following a bitter promotion battle, Massimo finds himself named prime suspect in a murder investigation.
Fighting to clear his name, Massimo becomes involved in an intercontinental financial war and is forced to choose between supporting Dominic or going up against him.
The series also stars Laia Costa, Kasia Smutniak, Lars Mikkelsen, Malachi Kirby (Roots), Paul Chowdhry, Pia Mechler (Everything Is Wonderful), Harry Michell (Chubby Funny), and Sallie Harmsen (Blade Runner 2049).
Based on the novel I Diavoli by Guido Maria Brera,...
Patrick Dempsey is returning to U.S. TV.
The CW has picked up Devils, an international thriller, that will air as part of the network's pandemic-proof fall schedule.
Devils is an international thriller that follows Massimo Ruggero, the charismatic yet ruthless Head of Trading at Nyl, one of the world’s most important investment banks, and his mentor, Nyl’s CEO Dominic Morgan.
After Dominic appoints another colleague over Massimo following a bitter promotion battle, Massimo finds himself named prime suspect in a murder investigation.
Fighting to clear his name, Massimo becomes involved in an intercontinental financial war and is forced to choose between supporting Dominic or going up against him.
The series also stars Laia Costa, Kasia Smutniak, Lars Mikkelsen, Malachi Kirby (Roots), Paul Chowdhry, Pia Mechler (Everything Is Wonderful), Harry Michell (Chubby Funny), and Sallie Harmsen (Blade Runner 2049).
Based on the novel I Diavoli by Guido Maria Brera,...
- 6/4/2020
- by Paul Dailly
- TVfanatic
The CW has acquired an Italian thriller series starring Patrick Dempsey and is now shifting around its previously announced fall 2020-21 broadcast season schedule to accommodate it.
Called “Devils,” which also stars Alessandro Borghi, the series will take the place of “Dead Pixels” and “Two Sentence Horror Stories” during the 8-9 p.m. block on Wednesday nights this fall. “Coroner” will remain in its 9-10 p.m. slot right after. As a result, “Dead Pixels” will have a summer premiere, while”Two Sentence Horror Stories” has been bumped to Sundays this fall. That means “Masters of Illusion” is moving to Fridays at 8 p.m. in the fall, and “World’s Funniest Animals” will get the 9 p.m. slot after it.
“Devils” is based on the novel “I Diavoli” by Guido Maria Brera. It’s produced by Sky Italia and Lux Vide, in association with Sky Studios, Orange Studio and Ocs.
Called “Devils,” which also stars Alessandro Borghi, the series will take the place of “Dead Pixels” and “Two Sentence Horror Stories” during the 8-9 p.m. block on Wednesday nights this fall. “Coroner” will remain in its 9-10 p.m. slot right after. As a result, “Dead Pixels” will have a summer premiere, while”Two Sentence Horror Stories” has been bumped to Sundays this fall. That means “Masters of Illusion” is moving to Fridays at 8 p.m. in the fall, and “World’s Funniest Animals” will get the 9 p.m. slot after it.
“Devils” is based on the novel “I Diavoli” by Guido Maria Brera. It’s produced by Sky Italia and Lux Vide, in association with Sky Studios, Orange Studio and Ocs.
- 6/3/2020
- by Margeaux Sippell
- The Wrap
The CW is adding another acquired series to its fall 2020 lineup.
The network has picked up the French-Italian co-production “Devils.” The series is described as an international thriller that follows Massimo Ruggero (Alessandro Borghi), the charismatic yet ruthless Head of Trading at Nyl, one of the world’s most important investment banks, and his mentor, Nyl’s CEO Dominic Morgan (Patrick Dempsey). After Dominic appoints another colleague over Massimo following a bitter promotion battle, Massimo finds himself named prime suspect in a murder investigation. Fighting to clear his name, Massimo becomes involved in an intercontinental financial war and is forced to choose between supporting Dominic or going up against him.
The series also stars Laia Costa, Kasia Smutniak, Lars Mikkelsen, Malachi Kirby, Paul Chowdhry, Pia Mechler, Harry Michell, and Sallie Harmsen.
The series will air on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Et/Pt, followed by the acquired series “Coroner.” The move...
The network has picked up the French-Italian co-production “Devils.” The series is described as an international thriller that follows Massimo Ruggero (Alessandro Borghi), the charismatic yet ruthless Head of Trading at Nyl, one of the world’s most important investment banks, and his mentor, Nyl’s CEO Dominic Morgan (Patrick Dempsey). After Dominic appoints another colleague over Massimo following a bitter promotion battle, Massimo finds himself named prime suspect in a murder investigation. Fighting to clear his name, Massimo becomes involved in an intercontinental financial war and is forced to choose between supporting Dominic or going up against him.
The series also stars Laia Costa, Kasia Smutniak, Lars Mikkelsen, Malachi Kirby, Paul Chowdhry, Pia Mechler, Harry Michell, and Sallie Harmsen.
The series will air on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. Et/Pt, followed by the acquired series “Coroner.” The move...
- 6/3/2020
- by Joe Otterson
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Sky’s London-set financial thriller Devils is set to journey to 160 territories internationally after NBCUniversal Global Distribution closed a raft of deals for the Patrick Dempsey series.
Produced by Italy’s Lux Vide in association with Orange Studio for Sky Italia, Devils premiered at Mipcom last year and stars Dempsey as the charismatic American CEO of an international investment bank.
More from DeadlineComcast's Sky Sets Launch Date For New Channels Sky Documentaries & Sky NatureSky Donates $624,000 To The Film & TV Charity's Coronavirus Emergency Relief FundRussell Howard To Host Sky Lockdown Show 'Russell Howard's Home Time'
The 10-part series has been picked up in territories including Russia (AMedia TV); Latin America and the Caribbean (Universal TV); Africa (Showmax); India (Eros); Denmark and Sweden (C More); the Netherlands (Rtl); and Southeast Asia (Blue Ant Entertainment).
Devils will also air across Sky’s European footprint in Italy (where it premieres tonight), the UK,...
Produced by Italy’s Lux Vide in association with Orange Studio for Sky Italia, Devils premiered at Mipcom last year and stars Dempsey as the charismatic American CEO of an international investment bank.
More from DeadlineComcast's Sky Sets Launch Date For New Channels Sky Documentaries & Sky NatureSky Donates $624,000 To The Film & TV Charity's Coronavirus Emergency Relief FundRussell Howard To Host Sky Lockdown Show 'Russell Howard's Home Time'
The 10-part series has been picked up in territories including Russia (AMedia TV); Latin America and the Caribbean (Universal TV); Africa (Showmax); India (Eros); Denmark and Sweden (C More); the Netherlands (Rtl); and Southeast Asia (Blue Ant Entertainment).
Devils will also air across Sky’s European footprint in Italy (where it premieres tonight), the UK,...
- 4/17/2020
- by Jake Kanter
- Deadline Film + TV
Here’s a first look at Irish “Poldark” star Aidan Turner as legendary artist Leonardo da Vinci in upcoming international co-production “Leonardo,” set to be released next year.
The first glimpse of Turner as da Vinci shows him learning his craft as a young apprentice and then reaching for greatness with his commission to paint The Last Supper.
The first look was compiled from original footage directed by Dan Percival and Alexis Sweet and is accompanied by a score from series composer John Paesano.
The high-end drama is produced by Lux Vide with Rai Fiction and Big Light Productions in association with France Télévisions and Rtve, and co-produced and distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Television.
The series was created by Frank Spotnitz and Steve Thompson, and is directed by Daniel Percival (“The Man in the High Castle) and Alexis Sweet (“Don Matteo”)
Giancarlo Giannini plays Leonardo’s master Andrea del Verrocchio,...
The first glimpse of Turner as da Vinci shows him learning his craft as a young apprentice and then reaching for greatness with his commission to paint The Last Supper.
The first look was compiled from original footage directed by Dan Percival and Alexis Sweet and is accompanied by a score from series composer John Paesano.
The high-end drama is produced by Lux Vide with Rai Fiction and Big Light Productions in association with France Télévisions and Rtve, and co-produced and distributed worldwide by Sony Pictures Television.
The series was created by Frank Spotnitz and Steve Thompson, and is directed by Daniel Percival (“The Man in the High Castle) and Alexis Sweet (“Don Matteo”)
Giancarlo Giannini plays Leonardo’s master Andrea del Verrocchio,...
- 4/15/2020
- by Tim Dams
- Variety Film + TV
Sony Pictures Television has joined Italy’s Lux Vide and Rai Fiction as co-producer and international distributor of Frank Spotnitz’s high-end TV series about Leonardo da Vinci, which started shooting Monday in Rome.
The eight-episode “Leonardo” (working title) stars Aidan Turner (“Poldark”) in the title role and Freddie Highmore (“The Good Doctor”) as Stefano Giraldi, a fictional Milanese police officer investigating Leonardo as the suspect in a murder case. Highmore is also on board as executive producer. It is being directed by Dan Percival (“The Man in the High Castle”).
Other key cast members include Italy’s Matilda de Angelis as Milanese noblewoman and Leonardo muse Caterina da Cremona and Giancarlo Giannini in the role of Renaissance master Andrea del Verrocchio, of whom Leonardo was a student.
The plan is for the English-language series to play next year to mark the 500th anniversary of Leonardo’s death. “Leonardo” is...
The eight-episode “Leonardo” (working title) stars Aidan Turner (“Poldark”) in the title role and Freddie Highmore (“The Good Doctor”) as Stefano Giraldi, a fictional Milanese police officer investigating Leonardo as the suspect in a murder case. Highmore is also on board as executive producer. It is being directed by Dan Percival (“The Man in the High Castle”).
Other key cast members include Italy’s Matilda de Angelis as Milanese noblewoman and Leonardo muse Caterina da Cremona and Giancarlo Giannini in the role of Renaissance master Andrea del Verrocchio, of whom Leonardo was a student.
The plan is for the English-language series to play next year to mark the 500th anniversary of Leonardo’s death. “Leonardo” is...
- 12/3/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Reign’s Toby Regbo is to star in the third and final season of Italian drama Medici.
The series will air over four nights in a primetime slot on Italian broadcaster Rai from December 2 with Netflix airing it after its domestic launch in early 2020. It will be branded an original Netflix series in the U.S., UK, Ireland, Canada, India and Taiwan.
Regbo will star alongside Daniel Sharman, and Synnøve Karlsen as well as Francesco Montanari and John Lynch, who joins for Medici The Magnificent: Final Season. Elsewhere, Troy: Fall of a City’s Johnny Harris and Bedlam’s Jack Roth form part of the international cast with Callum Blake, Aurora Ruffino and Sebastian De Souza.
Medici The Magnificent: Final Season starts a few months after the infamous Pazzi conspiracy that cost the life of Lorenzo’s brother, and nearly his own. Lorenzo, now a more complex and conflicted character,...
The series will air over four nights in a primetime slot on Italian broadcaster Rai from December 2 with Netflix airing it after its domestic launch in early 2020. It will be branded an original Netflix series in the U.S., UK, Ireland, Canada, India and Taiwan.
Regbo will star alongside Daniel Sharman, and Synnøve Karlsen as well as Francesco Montanari and John Lynch, who joins for Medici The Magnificent: Final Season. Elsewhere, Troy: Fall of a City’s Johnny Harris and Bedlam’s Jack Roth form part of the international cast with Callum Blake, Aurora Ruffino and Sebastian De Souza.
Medici The Magnificent: Final Season starts a few months after the infamous Pazzi conspiracy that cost the life of Lorenzo’s brother, and nearly his own. Lorenzo, now a more complex and conflicted character,...
- 11/29/2019
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Comcast-owned Sky Studios and Italy’s Lux Vide launched financial thriller “Devils” on Monday at Mipcom in Cannes, where NBCUniversal Global Distribution has already closed sales deals with several undisclosed territories.
“Devils” reconstructs the dynamics that prompted the debt crisis that threatened to unravel the many European countries that use the euro as their currency. The show delves into the world of financial traders in London, Frankfurt and Milan, based on a book that will soon be out in English by Italian trader Guido Brera, who worked for Morgan Stanley in London.
The 10-episode skein starring Patrick Dempsey (“Grey’s Anatomy”) and Alessandro Borghi (“Suburra”) is directed by Nick Hurran (“Altered Carbon“) and Jan Michelini (“Medici“) and produced by Sky and Lux Vide, in association with France’s Orange Studio.
The €25 million ($27.5 million) series is the first project that the Sky entity then known as Sky Vision, headed by Gary Davey,...
“Devils” reconstructs the dynamics that prompted the debt crisis that threatened to unravel the many European countries that use the euro as their currency. The show delves into the world of financial traders in London, Frankfurt and Milan, based on a book that will soon be out in English by Italian trader Guido Brera, who worked for Morgan Stanley in London.
The 10-episode skein starring Patrick Dempsey (“Grey’s Anatomy”) and Alessandro Borghi (“Suburra”) is directed by Nick Hurran (“Altered Carbon“) and Jan Michelini (“Medici“) and produced by Sky and Lux Vide, in association with France’s Orange Studio.
The €25 million ($27.5 million) series is the first project that the Sky entity then known as Sky Vision, headed by Gary Davey,...
- 10/14/2019
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Netflix has unveiled a first-look at period drama Medici: The Magnificent starring Game of Thrones’ Sean Bean and Teen Wolf’s Daniel Sharman.
The show is the follow-up to Medici: Masters of Florence, which starred Bodyguard’s Richard Madden and Dustin Hoffman.
The second season of the Italian drama, which is set in 15th century Florence, takes place 20 years after the first season and is set in the heart of the Renaissance through one of the most important historical figures of all times, Lorenzo the Magnificent. An attempt on Piero de Medici’s life forces his son Lorenzo, played by Sharman, to assume leadership of the family-run bank. Once in power, young Lorenzo, nicknamed The Magnificent, resolves to do things differently, which swiftly brings him into conflict with the head of Florence’s other powerful banking family, Jacopo Pazzi, played by Bean, who will stop at nothing to defeat Lorenzo The Magnificent.
The show is the follow-up to Medici: Masters of Florence, which starred Bodyguard’s Richard Madden and Dustin Hoffman.
The second season of the Italian drama, which is set in 15th century Florence, takes place 20 years after the first season and is set in the heart of the Renaissance through one of the most important historical figures of all times, Lorenzo the Magnificent. An attempt on Piero de Medici’s life forces his son Lorenzo, played by Sharman, to assume leadership of the family-run bank. Once in power, young Lorenzo, nicknamed The Magnificent, resolves to do things differently, which swiftly brings him into conflict with the head of Florence’s other powerful banking family, Jacopo Pazzi, played by Bean, who will stop at nothing to defeat Lorenzo The Magnificent.
- 12/20/2018
- by Peter White
- Deadline Film + TV
Italy’s state broadcaster Rai is leading the way in the country’s international TV boom.
Though pay-tv Sky Italia and Netflix are churning out some edgier Italian shows for the international marketplace, the bold Italian pubcaster is now riding high after making a splash at the Venice Film Festival with the world premiere of HBO/Rai’s powerful female friendship saga “My Brilliant Friend,” based on the first of Elena Ferrante’s globally best-selling novels.
Next up are its buzzed-about “The Name of the Rose” series, starring John Turturro, and the third season of Frank Spotnitz’s hit “Medici” saga, currently shooting in Italy.
“My Brilliant Friend,” which Rai fiction chief Eleonora Andreatta started developing before the book’s big success, marks a milestone for Italy’s TV industry because unlike Sky’s crimer “Gomorrah” and Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Young Pope,” it’s classic highbrow TV of the...
Though pay-tv Sky Italia and Netflix are churning out some edgier Italian shows for the international marketplace, the bold Italian pubcaster is now riding high after making a splash at the Venice Film Festival with the world premiere of HBO/Rai’s powerful female friendship saga “My Brilliant Friend,” based on the first of Elena Ferrante’s globally best-selling novels.
Next up are its buzzed-about “The Name of the Rose” series, starring John Turturro, and the third season of Frank Spotnitz’s hit “Medici” saga, currently shooting in Italy.
“My Brilliant Friend,” which Rai fiction chief Eleonora Andreatta started developing before the book’s big success, marks a milestone for Italy’s TV industry because unlike Sky’s crimer “Gomorrah” and Paolo Sorrentino’s “The Young Pope,” it’s classic highbrow TV of the...
- 10/17/2018
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Medici: The Magnificent, a follow-up to Medici: Masters of Florence, premiered Wednesday at a special gala at Palazzo Medici in Florence, Italy. Guests wined and dined at the original home of the family that built the Renaissance city, mingling among the locales where the new series was shot, including the famed Chapel of the Magi and grand courtyard.
The project was co-produced by Rome’s Lux Vide with Rai Fiction, Altice Group and Big Light Productions. Luca Bernabei and Frank Spotnitz produced the show, with Beta Film handling distribution. Season two of the series, created by Spotnitz and Nicholas Meyer, was directed ...
The project was co-produced by Rome’s Lux Vide with Rai Fiction, Altice Group and Big Light Productions. Luca Bernabei and Frank Spotnitz produced the show, with Beta Film handling distribution. Season two of the series, created by Spotnitz and Nicholas Meyer, was directed ...
- 10/11/2018
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Canadian director Christian Duguay is directing the third season of Frank Spotnitz’s “Medici” television saga, which has started shooting in Rome with Italian actor Francesco Montanari attached to play radical preacher Girolamo Savonarola, who became leader of Florence after the Medici family’s overthrow in 1494.
Duguay succeeds Jon Cassar (“24”), who helmed “Medici: Masters of Florence. The Magnificent Part I,” which was the show’s second season.
Montanari, who broke out internationally with Sky’s “Crime Novel,” more recently played the relentless anti-Mafia prosecutor who is the central character in pubcaster Rai’s hit “The Hunter.” He won the best performance prize for this role at the Cannesseries festival in April.
In the third “Medici” season, “Medici: Masters of Florence. The Magnificent Part II,” Florentine statesman and ruler Lorenzo De Medici, played by Daniel Sharman, “has become a man who will have to fight against his demons and defend Florence...
Duguay succeeds Jon Cassar (“24”), who helmed “Medici: Masters of Florence. The Magnificent Part I,” which was the show’s second season.
Montanari, who broke out internationally with Sky’s “Crime Novel,” more recently played the relentless anti-Mafia prosecutor who is the central character in pubcaster Rai’s hit “The Hunter.” He won the best performance prize for this role at the Cannesseries festival in April.
In the third “Medici” season, “Medici: Masters of Florence. The Magnificent Part II,” Florentine statesman and ruler Lorenzo De Medici, played by Daniel Sharman, “has become a man who will have to fight against his demons and defend Florence...
- 8/28/2018
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
Frank Spotnitz's Big Light Prods (The Man In The High Castle) and Lux Vide (Joseph) are teaming up to produce eight-part drama series Medici: Masters Of Florence chronicling the rise of the Medici family and the Italian Renaissance, with Richard Madden (Game Of Thrones) and Oscar winner Dustin Hoffman attached to star. Spotnitz co-created with Nicholas Meyer and executive produces with Matilde and Luca Bernabei. Sergio Mimica-Gezzan (The Pillars of the Earth) directs all…...
- 9/24/2015
- Deadline TV
Dustin Hoffman and "Game of Thrones" star Richard Madden are set to join Big Light Productions and Lux Vide's eight-part drama series "Medici: Masters Of Florence".
Set during the Italian Renaissance, the story chronicles the rise of the Medici family from simple merchants to power brokers who sparked an economic and cultural revolution.
In the process they made many enemies. Hoffman is family patriarch Giovanni, Madden is his son and the show's lead role Cosimo de Medici.
Frank Spotnitz and Nicholas Meyer co-created and will executive produces with Matilde and Luca Bernabei. Sergio Mimica-Gezzan ("The Pillars of the Earth") directs all eight episodes and filming begins this month in Rome and Florence.
Source: Deadline...
Set during the Italian Renaissance, the story chronicles the rise of the Medici family from simple merchants to power brokers who sparked an economic and cultural revolution.
In the process they made many enemies. Hoffman is family patriarch Giovanni, Madden is his son and the show's lead role Cosimo de Medici.
Frank Spotnitz and Nicholas Meyer co-created and will executive produces with Matilde and Luca Bernabei. Sergio Mimica-Gezzan ("The Pillars of the Earth") directs all eight episodes and filming begins this month in Rome and Florence.
Source: Deadline...
- 9/24/2015
- by Garth Franklin
- Dark Horizons
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