TORONTO – The Leopard, based on Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s 1958 novel, has been made into a new 6-part television series and is coming to Netflix this March 5th. The work was famously adapted to screen by Luchino Visconti in 1963, and starred some of the era’s biggest actors: Burt Lancaster (as Don Fabrizio Corbera), Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale. And although that film adaptation won the Palm D’or and is now widely considered a classic film, this new incarnation of The Leopard looks no less interesting.
For starters, the massive scope of G.T. Lampedusa’s story and its reflection on life and society during the Risorgimento is arguably better suited to a mini-series format. Its filmmakers undoubtedly explored with more latitude, the intricacies of the Noble Sicilian House and the fall of the Kingdom of the two Sicilies. The sumptuously cut trailer alone more than indicates that.
“At first glance, it is a drama that [describes], as the Prince of Salina says, the universal condition of those who belong to ‘a disgraced generation, straddling the old times and the new, and who are uncomfortable in both,’ yet it is also [about an] intimate affair that binds the great patriarch of this family and his beloved daughter. It’s a current story, despite being written almost 70 years ago”, remarked Tinny Andreatta, vice president for Italian content at Netflix.
Playing the “great patriarch” is the Roman born and relatively young veteran actor Kim Rossi Stuart. Virtually unknown to North American audiences, Rossi-Stuart preferred the more challenging roles and projects in Europe, unmoved by the lure of Tinseltown. The Leopard however, promises to expose global audiences to a beloved Italian actor who’s often drawn comparisons with Paul Newman – that is, strikingly handsome with acting versatility.
Joining the cast is Deva Cassel (in the pic above) as the wealthy and beautiful Angelica. Cassel, a model and brand ambassador for Cartier and Dior, made her acting debut in 2023 in Laura Luchetti’s coming of age tale The Beautiful Summer. While Cassel is a newcomer to the screen, she’s no stranger to the business being the daughter of European screen giants Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel. Her star is bright and The Leopard will likely fast-track her road to stardom.
Audiences will also be treated to an assortment of directing talent behind the camera with Tom Shankland – renowned for his work on House of Cards – directing 4 of the 6 episodes. Giuseppe Capotondi and Laura Luchetti will be directing episodes 4 and 5 respectively. Richard Warlow and Benji Walters are the writers, and Fabrizio Donvito, Daniel Campos Pavoncelli, Marco Cohen, Benedetto Habib and Alessandro Mascheroni are the producers for Indiana Production and Will Gould and Frith Tiplady for Moonage Pictures.
(Images courtesy of Netflix)
Massimo Volpe is a filmmaker and freelance writer from Toronto: he writes reviews of Italian films/content on Netflix
