Here’s the trailer for one of the more fascinating projects premiering at this year’s 81st Venice Film Festival in September.
Joe Wright’s eight-part series “M – Son Of The Century” will be on the Lido this year, and, alongside Alfonso Cuaron’s “Disclaimer,” is one of the most hotly anticipated titles at Venice. Produced by Sky, its subject matter couldn’t be more intriguing: Italian dictator Benito Mussolini.
Wright is adapting the award-winning novel by Antonio Scurati, and follows the Italian fascist’s rise to power taking place between 1919 and 1925. I don’t believe it will cover WWII, which is another key period to understanding Mussolini, especially his eccentric friendship with Adolf Hitler.
“M – Son of The Century” stars Luca Marinelli, Francesco Russo, Barbara Chichiarelli, Benedetta Cimatti, Federico Majorana, Lorenzo Zurzolo, and Federico Mainardi.
There is no US premiere date for “M – Son Of The Century,” but I’m sure it’ll get picked up soon. The budget is said to have been around $50M, so it’s a pricey one, especially for a Euro-based production.
In his filmmaking career, Wright has had his fair share of ups (“Atonement,” (“Pride & Prejudice”) and downs (“Pan,” “The Woman in the Window”). His last film was his 2021 adaptation of “Cyrano,” starring Peter Dinklage, which garnered positive reviews.