Checco Zalone Rules Over Christmas
TORONTO – Canada’s high-concept filmmaker James Cameron is fast approaching the 1-billion-dollar mark with his “threequel” film Avatar: Fire and Ash. Its global box office after two weekends exceeded $760 million, a feat which seems less impressive when considering its $400 million budget. Feature films typically need to gross three times their production budget to turn a profit, while major blockbusters, like Avatar, always require more. But there’s a bigger story surrounding a smaller film in Italy – Checco Zalone’s Buen Camino.
Zalone’s sixth film, released on Christmas Day, made six times the box office return of Avatar’s (in Italy). That is, a $6.9 million single day take home versus $1 million for Cameron’s sci-fi blockbuster. The Christmas day release is a prime-time slot for Studios who use it to screen their highly anticipated blockbusters. Making it all the more difficult for a local film like Buen Camino to compete.
But compete it did. Italian families had ample choice at the cinema on Christmas day, including several other American juggernauts including Wicked Part 2 and Zootopia 2. But Zalone’s wide release across Italy also meant more screens, all of which sold out.
Zalone has well cemented himself as an icon of Italian comedy, in a relatively short time span. Since 2009, the stand-up comedian turned actor/filmmaker has drawn comparisons with the legendary Totò for his use of satirical comedy and sharp social commentary. Like Totò, Zalone’s films all feature one distinct character [Checco], usually presented as an “average boor”.
Checco’s latest adventure – Buen Camino – is en route to overtake Paola Cortellesi’s There’s Still Tomorrow (2023) which was a massive post-pandemic hit earning $40 million and 6 David Di Donatello Awards. The feat is significant because it will mean that the five biggest local box office hits of all time belong to Zalone. The list: Quo Vado? ($72.6m, 2016), Sole a Catinelle ($69.9m, 2013), Tolo Tolo ($52.2m, 2020) and What a Beautiful Day ($59.4m, 2011).
As for the film, we reunite with Checco on the Costa Smeralda as he enjoys the spoils of his family’s sofa manufacturing empire. Sun soaked, poolside and waited on hand and foot by an army of beautiful women, Checco lacks nothing. Except his underage daughter who’s gone missing. His dormant paternal instant kicks in, and he embarks on a mission to locate his daughter (played by Letizia Arno) who was last seen in Spain.
Zalone’s loveable bumbling routine is nothing new to Italian audiences, but resonates all the same. So much that his films defy industry trends. Rarely does a comedy in the US dominate a star-studded box office, especially one that includes a billion-dollar franchise. But in Italy, Checco is their Kubrick.
Images courtesy of Medusa Films
Massimo Volpe is a filmmaker and freelance writer from Toronto: he writes reviews of Italian films/content on Netflix
