ADS BEN ALDRIDGE, MONICA BELLUCCI AND EDUARDO NORIEGA
It is quite a cast: as Variety reports, Persepolis helmer Marjane Satrapi has added our dear Ben Aldridge, Monica Bellucci, Eduardo Noriega, to the cast of her new Studiocanal movie DEAR PARIS a dark comedy set in the French capital where a flurry of charming characters confront death only to embrace life once again. Monica Bellucci stars as a narcissistic Italian opera singer and Rossy De Palma as an eccentric elderly Colombian woman, in the cast that also includes André Dussollier, Alex Lutz, Roschdy Zem, Martina Garcia and Gwendal Marimoutou.
Miramax TV has cast Daisy Ridley in their new TV series THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR an adaptation of Nina de Gramont's murder mystery novel about the time when the famous detective novel writer Agatha Christie disappeared for two weeks. In 1926, when her husband’s affair became public, Agatha Christie vanished for eleven days. In this reimagining, told through the eyes of her husband’s mistress Nan O’Dea (Daisy Ridley), Nan and Agatha become entwined in each other’s lives in ways neither expected.
THE RINGS OF POWER SERIES
SAM HAZELDINE REPLACES JOSEPH MAWLE IN SEASON 2
After the first season broke all records scoring astounding 100 million viewers from all corners of the world, the most expensive series ever and the most beautiful one of the year behind us THE RINGS OF POWER is preparing the second season and they have now replaced Joseph Mawle in the role of evil Orc leader Adar with Sam Hazeldine. The reasons are not known, but Mawle did not take part in promotional activities for the first season either. New faces joining the second season in undisclosed roles also include Gabriel Akuwudike, Yasen ‘Zates’ Atour, Ben Daniels, newcomer Amelia Kenworthy, Nia Towle, and Nicholas Woodeson! The show set thousands of years before the events from the Lord of the Rings movies, should, hopefully, return sometime next year.
MAFIA MAMMA TRAILER
The film arrives April 14th!
WITH TONI COLLETTE AND MONICA BELLUCCI
Although it is not going to hit theatres until April 14th next year, a fun trailer has been released for Toni Collette's comedy movie MAFIA MAMMA in which she plays an insecure American woman who inherits her grandfather’s mafia empire in Italy. Guided by the firm’s trusted consigliere (played by Italy's own Monica Bellucci), she hilariously defies everyone’s expectations, including her own, as the new head of the family business. Check out the hilarious trailer below and tell us what you think:
We continue our cinematic travel through Europe by moving from sweet mother Russia to charming Italy where November 17th, which is tomorrow, has been set as the premiere date for highly stylized comic book adaptation movie DIABOLIK: GINKO ATTACKS! (Diabolik - Ginko all'attacco!) with Giacomo Gianniotti in the title role of the charming master thief Diabolik, and Monica Bellucci as Altea di Vallemberg. Our dearest Beta Film is handling world sales for the adventure movie directed by Antonio and Marco Manetti. You can check out the dynamic
This is a sequel to the 2021 movie
and glitzy trailer below it has English subtitles.
IN THE BRAND NEW MOVIE, DIABOLIK
and his accomplice Eva Kant lead a new adventure, set in the
fictional state of Clerville in the late 1960s, fighting against Inspector Ginko who is now more
combative than ever before. They nearly get caught in Inspector
Ginko’s trap. While on the run, Eva gets hurt and Diabolik,
mercilessly, abandons her. In an unexpected twist, a very furious and dangerous Eva proposes to Ginko to
collaborate in the capture of Diabolik.
WHO IS IN THE CAST?
Miriam Leone plays Diabolik's
accomplice, gorgeous Eva. Meanwhile, Valerio Mastandrea plays inspector
Ginko himself. This is the second part of the successful big screen adaptation of
the popular classic comic that has been sold in more than 150 million copies
around the world so far. The first film was released last year and was nominated for a lot of awards in the homeland. The
movie has already been sold for distribution around Europe, in Canada,
China and South America.
Two non English movies for you today as Hollywood is in its prefestive slumber: a prequel to La Befana movie from 2018 BEFANA COMES AT NIGHT 2:THE ORIGINS will arrive to Italian cinemas a day before New
The prequel arrives December 30th
Year's Eve. Monica Bellucci takes the lead role of Befana, an old woman who delivers gifts to children throughout Italy on Epiphany Eve (the night of January 5). Little Zoe Massenti plays Paola, an XVIII century street girl, scam always looking for trouble, who inadvertently finds herself hindering the plans of the terrible Baron De Michelis (Fabio De Luigi), a hunchback always escorted by the trusted and mistreated Marmotta (Herbert Ballerina), with a boundless thirst for power and a boundless hatred of witches. The intervention of the sweet and
Monica Bellucci is sporting white hair in the movie
powerful Dolores (Monica Bellucci), a good witch who dedicates her life to children, saves Paola from an already lit fire. Between a magical apprentice-
Herbert Balerrina also stars in the film next to Bellucci
ship, pursuits, incredible transformations and many, many, troubles, Paola will discover that destiny has something very special in store for her.
DOVBUSH HISTORICAL EPIC
UKRAINE'S MOSTEXPENSIVE FILM
Meanwhile, over in Ukraine we have historical adventure arriving to cinemas next May. DOVBUSH is a large scale epic movie about a unique Ukrainian hero, who gave his life for the freedom of his people more than
Dovbush will arrive to cinemas next May
three centuries ago, but his history has become immortal.
The events of the film unfold in the Carpathians at the beginning of the
18th century. The brutal rule of the Polish gentry forces the Hutsuls
to flee to the mountains. Two brothers, Oleksa (Sergei Strelnikov) and Ivan Dovbush (Aleksei Gnatkovsky),
are outlawed. In search of revenge for the murder of their parents, the
brothers become enemies to each other. One wants money, the other –
justice.
The Hutsuls start an uprising led by Oleksa. The gentry does everything
possible to destroy Dovbush, but he manages to outwit them. Since then,
the legend of the Carpathian knight has
Sergei Strelnikov takes the lead role of Dovbush in the film
been living and inspires
generations of those who are fighting for the freedom of their native
land. More than 1000 costumes were made for the movie with more than 600
people taking part in the production with more than twenty historically
accurate sets being made for the movie.
I'm not into movies that glorify mafia, but at least this one sounds funny: Catherine Hardwicke has cast Toni Collette as the lead in her new comedy MAFIA MAMMA which already has Monica Bellucci. Toni will
Toni Collette and Monica Bellucci will star in Mafia Mamma
play a suburban American woman who inherits her grandfather’s Mafia empire, and guided by the Firm’s trusted consigliere defies everyone’s expectations, including her own, as the new head of the family business.
FIRST HOTEL PORTOFINO
PICS FROM PERIOD SET DRAMA
Beside Sisi and La Fortuna, our dear Beta Film has, over at MipCom, also closed deals for another of their period set series HOTEL PORTOFINO which has been sold now to Scandinavia and Holland and will air on ITV and
Natascha McElhone will lead the cast of the new series
PBS, Sky Italia and Foxtel in Australia. Embued with the emancipated social attitudes of the 1920s, and set on the enchanting, beautiful Italian Riviera, The
Mark Umbers is also in the Hotel Portofino cast
six episode series follows a British family who emigrate to open a high-end hotel in Italy, and captures the long-established literary tradition of comic and
Adam James also stars in the series shooting in Croatia
idiosyncratic British “innocents abroad,” set against the historical backdrop of the rise of Fascism in Mussolini’s Italy. Beside Natascha McElhone, it also stars Adam James, Mark Umbers, Anna Chancellor, Daniele Pecci, Lorenzo Richelmy and Rocco Fasano.
Toplining our global news updates today is something coming from France: Matthias Schoenaerts has been set as the lead of the new wild west set ten part TV series DJANGO which will air on Canal + in French territories and on Sky channels around Europe. Created by Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravaglia it will offer a fresh new take on the Western genre with a contemporary and psychological twist.
The story is set in the Wild West in the 1860s and 1870s. Sarah and John have founded New Babylon, a city of outcasts, full of men and women of all backgrounds, races and creeds, that welcomes everyone with open arms.
Haunted by the murder of his family eight years earlier, Django is still looking for his daughter, believing she may have survived the killing. He is shocked to find her in New Babylon, about to marry John. But Sarah, now a grown woman, wants Django to leave, as she fears he will put New Babylon in jeopardy if he stays. However, Django, believing the city is in danger, is adamant that he will not lose his daughter twice. The English language series will start shooting in May.
MONICA BELLUCCI TO GET
Monica Bellucci will try to survive the drought
STUCK IN ROME WITH OUT WATER
Meanwhile, down in Italy, as Cineuropa reports, Paolo Virzi is shooting DROUGHT (Siccita) a futuristic movie which imagines the Italian capital stricken by a water shortage, wreaking havoc on rules and customs! Monica Bellucci and Valerio Mastandrea play two of the lead characters in the film that imagines a version of Rome where it hasn’t rained for three years, resulting in a water shortage which upends rules and habits. Circulating within this city overcome by thirst yet drowning in prohibitions is a group of characters who are both young and old, marginalised and successful, victims and profiteers. Their lives are interlinked in one tragic and mocking design as each of them searches for personal redemption.
only to embrace life once again. Monica Bellucci stars as a narcissistic Italian opera singer and Rossy De Palma as an eccentric elderly Colombian woman, in the cast that also includes André Dussollier, Alex Lutz, Roschdy Zem, Martina Garcia and Gwendal Marimoutou. 
only to embrace life once again. Monica Bellucci stars as a narcissistic Italian opera singer and Rossy De Palma as an eccentric elderly Colombian woman, in the cast that also includes André Dussollier, Alex Lutz, Roschdy Zem, Martina Garcia and Gwendal Marimoutou. 
