Riccardo Vannuccini’s ‘Commedia’ Sets Sequel Titled ‘Tarzan’ (EXCLUSIVE) – Global Bulletin

NEW PROJECT

Update: The title of Vannuccini’s sequel to “Commedia” has been changed to “Things and Other Things.”

Riccardo Vannuccini has set a sequel to his feature “Commedia.” Titled “Tarzan,” the project will see him again team up with “This England” star Greta Bellamacina, with whom he starred in “Commedia.”

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The duo will reprise their roles as Rocco and Irene, this time in a post-industrial landscape. Manolo Cinti is on board as DP. “Tarzan,” which begins shooting in Italy this November, is co-produced by Artestudio in Rome and Sulk Youth in the U.K.

“Commedia” is set to be released on Prime Video in the U.K. and U.S. this month.

“Our heroes have managed to mysteriously escape from where they were – but where were they?” says Vannuccini. “They are busy doing nothing, making small acts, to leave imaginative traces of their passage, imagined signs of being in the world. Scratches, noises, silences, poses, runs, drinks, wounds, escapes, kisses, stealing. The world they inhabit is our own post-industrial landscape, a world scarred by the industry and sadness of the twentieth century, but in it they find beauty, and they create beauty. They are the archetypal romantic runaways.”

COMMISSION

The BBC has commissioned eight-part coming-of-age drama series “What It Feels Like For A Girl,” inspired by the memoir of the same name by writer and journalist Paris Lees. Set in the early 2000s, the series will follow teenager Byron who is stuck in a small working-class town. Life explodes in a rush when Byron escapes to Nottingham’s underworld and discovers podium-dancer-cum-hellraiser Lady Die. When Byron is seduced by bad-boy Liam, a shocking encounter occurs that will change life forever. Made by Hera Pictures (“Mary & George”) for BBC Three and iPlayer, the series will be adapted for television by Lees and the lead director is Chris Sweeney (“The Tourist”). Filming will take place in 2024.

MENTORING

Polish director Agnieszka Smoczyńska will serve as mentor for EFP Future Frames – Generation Next of European Cinema, a program for student filmmakers that runs at Karlovy Vary Film Festival, and is organized by European Film Promotion. In a masterclass entitled “How to Make Your First Movie,” Smoczyńska will talk about her experiences and encourage the young directors to follow their ideas and go their own ways. Smoczyńska will present her first feature film, “The Lure,” a mixture of musical and horror film, at the festival. The film debuted in 2015 at the Sundance Film Festival, and was theatrically released in the U.S. via Janus Film. Her second feature film, “Fugue,” premiered at Cannes in the Critics’ Week section with a U.S. theatrical release in 2023. In 2022, her English-language debut, “The Silent Twins,” starring Letitia Wright and Tamara Lawrance, premiered in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival.

Pictured above: Greta Bellamacina

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