Leone Movie Group is taking the legacy of its founder, Italian Western grasp Sergio Leone, to the following degree.
Because the Rome-based firm, run by the grasp’s kids Raffaella and Andrea, celebrates its thirty fifth anniversary, it continues to consolidate its place because the preeminent provider of American impartial merchandise to Italy. Leone’s movie and tv manufacturing enterprise has grown not too long ago, offering a wealth of high-end content material for worldwide markets.
After changing into the highest distribution associate in Italy for American impartial movies together with Lionsgate, STX Leisure, Voltage and Black Bear Photos, Leone Movie Group is now targeted on what Raffaella Leone calls “the harder process” of “ Our manufacturing lays the inspiration” to ascertain itself on the worldwide stage. “
The group’s Lotus Manufacturing label, now run instantly by Raffaella, has quite a lot of initiatives in varied phases, together with new movies from James Grey, Isabel Coixet and Gabriele Muccino. Because it expands its manufacturing arm, LFG is busy forging shut ties with a number of manufacturing companions, from Spain’s Mediapro to Ridley Scott’s Scott Free, to Rodrigo Teixeira’s Brazilian RT Options and White Lotus producer David Bernad.
“We have now a powerful need to work as an equal with worldwide firms as a producer,” mentioned Raffaella, the corporate’s co-owner and CEO.
This enhance in Leone’s manufacturing comes amid upheaval in Hollywood as a result of strikes and mergers. LFG’s ambitions come amid consolidation within the Italian market, with LFG now one of many few surviving wholly Italian firms after a number of overseas takeovers of its rivals.
All of the uncertainty and exercise has opened the door for non-U.S. gamers within the international content material house.
“Our purpose was to stay an Italian firm, however in reality we did the alternative: acquired or merged with a global firm, which might be Spanish or American,” Rafaela and Andrea clarify. They added that this need to increase was not dictated by “fantasias of grandeur” however as a result of “that is the place the market goes and it is also because of the scale of the initiatives we need to produce.”
LFG manufacturing pipeline overview:
Untitled James Grey Venture
The movie is co-produced by LFG and Teixeira (“Armageddon”), who mentioned in an announcement: “It’s such an honor to make a movie with the Leone household. I began my profession within the movie trade , partly because of the legacy of Sergio Leone, it was a dream come true for me when the chance got here up for James Grey to make a brand new film with Rafaela and Andrea Leone. The undertaking can be Gray’s subsequent movie, particulars of that are nonetheless being stored underneath wraps.
deserted days
Penelope Cruz will star in Coisette’s English model, tailored from the novel of the identical title by Italian author Elena Ferrante. The script is written by “The Affair” co-creator Sarah Trim. Two of Spain’s prime abilities will reunite in “Deserted” after working collectively on “Elegy” in 2008, one other movie set in the US. The movie is customized from the novella “The Dying Animal” by Philip Roth and tells the story of an affair between a professor (performed by Ben Kingsley) and his scholar (performed by Cruz).
Crimson Remastered Version
LFG has teamed up with White Lotus producer Bernad on a contemporary remake of Dario Argento’s 1975 horror traditional.
Syracuse
Filmmaker Gabrielle Muccino (whose Hollywood credit embrace “The Pursuit of Happiness” starring Will Smith) will direct the movie, based mostly on Delia Ephron’s novel “Syracuse.” Tailored English model. The supply materials, which tells the story of two {couples} and a baby on vacation on Sicily’s sun-drenched Ionian coast, turned a “thriller” of types, Raffaella mentioned. Muccino’s Sicilian-set romantic thriller “Right here Now,” starring Elena Kampouris (“My Huge Fats Greek Wedding ceremony 3”) and likewise produced by LFG, can be launched in Italy in October.
scandal
Paul Genovese (“Excellent Strangers”) will direct “The Volcano Lovers”, a movie based mostly on the love triangle between director Ingrid Bergman, neorealist grasp Roberto Rossellini and actor Anna Magnani 》. The script was written by Francesco Piccolo (“My Genius Buddy”) and Genovese.
Joan of Arc Venture
LFG and Scott Free are creating the undertaking, which guarantees to convey a brand new look to the French icon. The e book is customized from a chapter within the best-selling e book by Italian historian Alessandro Barbero, who describes Joan as a girl who “led a military of cross-dressers and fought to problem the instances.” We paid the worth with our lives for the principles.”
love me, love me
American director Roger Kumble (Merciless Intentions) will direct the primary of Stephanie S.’s extremely profitable trilogy of Wattpad novels. , she turns into greatest associates with two boys and discovers the hidden fact. Lotus is produced in partnership with Amazon MGM Studios and Wattpad Webtoon Studios. Prime Video will launch globally.
Aron Levitz, president of Wattpad Webtoon Studios, mentioned Leone Movie Group “understands the significance of viewers engagement and fan base, which is essential to our studio.” “We’re extraordinarily proud to associate with such a legendary studio and are excited to proceed producing content material with the gifted groups at Leone Movie Group and Lotus Manufacturing,” he added.
Milestones for Leon Movie Group:
“As soon as Upon a Time within the West” stars Charles Bronson (proper) and Henry Fonda.
Courtesy of Everett Assortment
1989
Sergio Leone fashioned an organization to assist produce his long-gestating dream undertaking “Leningrad,” however he died that 12 months. Over the following few years, two of his three kids, Raffaella and Andrea, started to work on their very own, after managing the rights to 2 westerns that they had inherited from their father. Markets TV motion pictures: As soon as Upon a Time within the West and As soon as Upon a Time within the West underneath the title Leone Movie Group. “Duck, you fool!”
2001
After ten years of working with American impartial movie firms and supplying merchandise to most Italian broadcasters, amassing a wealthy library, Raffaella and Andrea created their very own movie with Steve Vincent Soderbergh’s “Site visitors” plunges headlong into dramatic territory. They’re additionally starting to increase their advertising actions from tv to different platforms, together with pay TV and residential video.
2009
LFG enters native manufacturing with the youth comedy Generazione 1,000 Euro.
2012
LFG indicators its first multi-year theatrical manufacturing cope with DreamWorks (Amblin/Storyteller).
2013
Shingle has signed a multi-year manufacturing cope with Summit Leisure and Lionsgate Photos. Agreements with FilmNation and different US producers adopted.
Began working intently with RAI Cinema’s 01 Distribution. The primary key titles are “Rush” and “The Wolf of Wall Road.”
On December 19, with the soundtrack of Ennio Morricone’s “As soon as Upon a Time within the West” enjoying on the Milan Inventory Change, LFG’s itemizing formally started.
2014
LFG acquires manufacturing firm Lotus.
2015
Lionsgate has approved LFG to function an govt producer on “John Wick 2,” the primary of a number of main U.S. productions they’ll serve in Italy.
2016
Lotus produced its first TV collection, Imturi, and started creating worldwide programming. Its newest TV collection embrace Disney+’s Lions of Sicily (2023) and the upcoming Neapolitan collection Uonderbois, about kids who roam the town’s underbelly, led by a Robin Hood-esque character. Made for Disney+.
2018
Lionsgate’s household drama “Marvel” set a European field workplace file in Italy with $13.8 million. Gabriele Muccino’s ensemble comedy “A Casa Tutti Bene” (“No Place Like House”) is an area hit in Italy.
2019
LFG has loved success in Italy with Mia and the White Lion, Veep, Inexperienced Guide and After.
Shingle signed an unique 30-month first window settlement with Amazon. The sky has a second window.
2020
The high-grossing launch of Muccino’s “Gli Anni Più Belli” (“The Finest Years”) was lower quick by the COVID-19 pandemic.
2021
LFG’s teen romance “About Time,” starring Bella Thorne, is the highest-grossing restricted launch in Italian theaters this 12 months.
The partnership with Amazon has been expanded as a result of LFG’s success with merchandise launched on the Prime Video platform, notably the “After” movie collection. “They’re the gold customary for distribution,” mentioned “After” producer Nicolas Chartier, head of Voltage Photos. “Their father is my favourite director!”
The Prime Video partnership expands with the launch of a curated Leone “As soon as Upon a Time” channel, that includes prime Italian movies from LFG’s library.
2022
Raffaella Leone takes over the reins of Lotus.
2023
LFG has launched 11 movies theatrically, 4 of which it produced in-house, together with Micaela Ramazzotti’s Felicità, which premiered on the Venice Movie Pageant.
2024
Italian billionaire Leonardo Maria Del Vecchio bought a 13.78% stake in LFG via his LMDV Capital, and Raffaella Leone mentioned, “The within the need to assist the group keep in Italian palms and proceed to develop”.
Raffaella Leone was awarded the Cavaliere del Lavoro (Order of Labor Advantage) medal in recognition of her excellent achievements as an Italian entrepreneur.
