Sky unveils Mussolini biopic
FIRST LOOK: Luca Marinelli stars as Benito Mussolini in M. Son of the Century, an upcoming Sky drama that will have its world premiere at this year’s Venice Film Festival.
Based on the book by Antonio Scurati, the series chronicles the birth of fascism in Italy and the Duce Benito Mussolini’s rise to power, telling the history of a country that surrendered to dictatorship, and the story of a man who was able to rise from his ashes time and again.
The eight-part series – titled M. Il figlio del secolo in Italian – will cover the period from the founding of Fasci Italiani in 1919 through to Mussolini’s infamous speech in parliament following the murder of socialist MP Giacomo Matteotti in 1925. The series will also provide viewers with an insight into Mussolini (played Marinelli) and his personal relationships, including with his wife Rachele, his lover Margherita Sarfatti, and with other iconic figures from the time.
Screening out of competition in Venice this summer – the festival runs from August 28 to September 7 – it will air on Sky across Europe in 2025. Fremantle is handling international distribution.
The series is directed by Joe Wright (Darkest Hour, Atonement, Cyrano) and produced by Sky Studios and Lorenzo Mieli for The Apartment, in coproduction with Pathé, in association with Small Forward Productions and in collaboration with Fremantle, Cinecittà and Sky.
It is written by Stefano Bises (Gomorrah, The New Pope, ZeroZeroZero) and Davide Serino (1992, 1993, Il Re – The king), with the series outline by Stefano Bises, Davide Serino and Antonio Scurati. Historical accuracy has been key to the show, with every event, character, dialogue and speech documented or witnessed by multiple sources.
The soundtrack is composed by Tom Rowlands, part of the British electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers.
Marinelli stars alongside Francesco Russo as Cesare Rossi, Barbara Chichiarelli as Margherita Sarfatti, Benedetta Cimatti as Donna Rachele, Federico Majorana as Amerigo Dumini and Lorenzo Zurzolo as Italo Balbo.
tagged in: Fremantle, Luca Marinelli, M. Son of a Century, Sky