Italy’s Indiana Productions, part of pan-European studio Vuelta, is taking its ambitions as the country’s comedy leader to the next level.
The Milan-based company is launching a multifaceted comedy content factory consisting of a creative hub with a writers’ room and a Roman theater featuring live stand-up acts. All of this under the guidance of Gennaro Nunziante, the versatile director of top local hits, including Buen Camino, the country’s highest-grossing movie of all time.
Nunziante currently has two new features in the pipeline, one of which is currently filming.
Indiana’s goal for the next three years is to discover and develop a new wave of Italian comedy talent by using Rome’s Teatro Amfitrione as a laboratory and hosting a series of live comedy shows. The initiative, called “Artificio,” will be a “low-cost, operationally efficient pilot project that can guide the transition to more digital business models,” the Milan-based company said in a statement.
Indiana’s Comedy Creative Hub plans to produce at least three feature films a year, Indiana’s Marco Cohen, who has been spearheading the effort, told Variety. But we also aim to create several series, podcasts and formats that will generate valuable and scalable IP across digital, television and theatrical markets, strengthening Indiana’s cultural and market leadership in Italian comedy.
One genre that Indiana’s Comedy Factory focuses on is Italian sitcoms, which currently have little presence in the country. “In Italy, sitcoms are disappearing from the airwaves and being replaced by game shows on the Access prime time slot on linear TV because they are cheaper[in Italy],” Nunziante said, adding that local viewers still “crave” sitcoms.
“I think sitcoms made in a 24-minute format represent the future for streamers like Netflix because they create audience retention,” Nunziante said. “So we’re going to do some work for streamers.”
Nunziante also pointed out that “Buen Camino,” starring local comedy sensation Cecco Zalone as a rich, prodigal father who drives around Spain’s famous pilgrimage route, the Camino de Santiago, in a red Ferrari in search of his daughter, has been doing well on Netflix recently, reaching the top 10 in 21 European countries. In January, the Zalone comedy co-written and directed by Nunziante made headlines around the world, grossing an astonishing $82 million locally, making it Italy’s highest-grossing film in history. Local remakes of Buen Camino are in the works in Spain, France, Germany and Scandinavia.
Nunziante and Indiana are hard at work creating travel-ready Italian comedy content similar to Buen Camino. But he is adamant that the key to achieving this is to make it quintessentially Italian.
“For me, internationalization doesn’t mean filming overseas or starring foreign actors,” he said. “It’s more about how close we can get to universal aspects of humanity.”
“We’re in a completely different league than American or British comedy, if only because of the language aspect,” Nunziante said. “That’s why we can’t imitate foreign films.” Instead, he continued, “we need to bring our own identity, our own heart, our own boldness, our own truth to an international audience. That opens doors for other countries.” “Otherwise, we’re losers. We’re just copycats.”
Within the newly established Indiana Comedy Creative Hub, Nunziante will collaborate with writers Tano Mongelli, Andrea Defino, Giuseppe Scoditti and Giovanni Buscellato.
Discovering, nurturing and giving voice to new talent is one of the Vuelta’s main objectives, president Jerome Levy said in a statement. “Comedy Factory, a partnership between the State of Indiana and Gennaro Nunziante, will allow these emerging comedians to take advantage of the Vuelta’s infrastructure and learn from Gennaro’s experience and incredible track record,” he added.
Here is a list of comedy projects in various stages at the Indiana Comedy Content Factory.
Nunziante’s new film stars young comedian Angelo Duro – Filming began on June 22nd in Milan on Nunziante’s second film featuring the Sicilian stand-up comedian. The film follows the first film titled “Io sono la Fine del mondo” which grossed over $10 million at the Italian box office. The title and plot of the sequel are being kept secret.
Nunziante’s new film starring Fabio De Luigi – Nunziante aims to expand his fan base beyond his country by directing the comedy “Miss Frutta” starring popular Italian actor and director De Luigi (“A Good Day”).
This romantic comedy stars newcomer Nicolo De De Vitis, an Italian television personality best known as the anchor of Mediaset’s investigative show “Le Iene,” who will make his acting debut in this feature film, which is scheduled to begin filming this fall. The director is kept secret.
Checco Zalone’s New Movie – “We found a fun story that we love,” Nunziante said. Nunziante plans to begin writing the script with Zalone after he finishes shooting the film with Duro.
Photo above: From left to right, Indiana partners Marco Cohen and Gennaro Nunziante.
