Can Yaman plays pirates in Sandokan
FIRST LOOK: Turkish actor Can Yaman leads the cast of Sandokan, a new adaptation of Emilio Salgari’s historic saga about the adventures of the titular pirate who fights against colonial powers in Southeast Asia.
Yaman (Dolunay) stars as Sandokan, with British newcomer Alanha Bloor as Lady Marianne, the spirited daughter of the British consul.
The cast also includes Ed Westwick (Gossip Girl), Alessandro Preziosi (The Doctors), John Hannah (The Last of Us), Madeleine Price, Gilberto Gliozzi (Them), Mark Grosy (Zero Zero Zero) and Samuele Segreto (Stranizza d’amuri).
Described as a series full of adventure, passion and revolution, it opens in Borneo, a tropical paradise inhabited by the native Dayak tribes but dominated by the ruthless law of the colonialist British.
Here, Sandokan is a pirate who lives by the day: he fights only for himself and his crew, including his trusted Yanez. But his life changes when during a raid he meets Marianne, the beautiful daughter of the British consul in Labuan. As their impossible love affair begins, they are followed by legendary pirate hunter Lord James Brooke, who will stop at nothing to capture Sandokan and win Marianne’s heart.
But they are part of a much bigger story: that of the Dayaks fighting for freedom and looking for a leader who can save them. For this, Sandokan will be called upon to be more than just a pirate: he will have to become the legendary Tiger of Malaya.
Based on an idea by Luca Bernabei, the series is produced by Lux Vide for Italy’s RAI. It will be distributed internationally by Fremantle and in Spain by Mediterráneo Mediaset España Group.
It is developed for television by Alessandro Sermoneta (Devils), Scott Rosenbaum (The Shield) and Davide Lantieri (Monterossi), and directed by Jan Maria Michelini (Devils) and Nicola Abbatangelo (Doc).
Filming began in April in Formello and will also take place between Lazio, Tuscany, Reunion Island and Calabria, where the English colony of Labuan in Lamezia Terme has been built.
The original TV series Sandokan, directed in 1976 by Sergio Sollima, catapulted actor Kabir Bedi to Bollywood stardom and sold to more than 85 countries around the world.
See more first look pictures below.
