let’s forget the big guys for a moment economic prospects through which Hollywood cinema has now accustomed us to produce its films shocking budget with and Ranking the 10 Most Expensive Italian FilmsLet us look at the disbursement required for home movies that, especially in recent years, are trying to get close to those giant productions produced by the immense financial power of big American houses and important investors. distanced from the availability of the most illustrious names like James Cameron And Christopher Nolan or as an industry veteran MiracleLet us enter the productive universe of our country, which has witnessed the creation of multi-million dollar taskssome of which are unexpected, and which, surprisingly, see you exceln the film is over 20 years old, so let’s start with the very expensive pinocchiofelt by Roberto BenigniFlash forward to a film from more than 1 century ago, and let’s explore the historical and social context of astronomical data.
1. pinocchio (45 million) is the most expensive Italian film ever made
Project pinocchio was born in the early 90s, when the potentially brilliant direction of Federico Fellini It seemed more than a mere suggestion; director passed away, the film was then developed by movie melampusMade by Production House Nicoletta Brasky And Roberto Benigni, and directed by the Tuscan actor himself, also the star of the film. shot in Cinecittà Umbria Studio In Papigno, near Terni, the feature film needed more 2 years productionof which about 7 months of shooting, and more than the total investment 45 million euros, an almost unimaginable figure for an Italian work, especially if referring to a film released 21 years earlier. Box office receipts reached $41 million, slightly disappointed by the US gross (just over $3.5 million).
2. Baria (28 million)
Bariasigned giant Giuseppe Tornatore and shot in his hometown, Bagheria, was announced and then opened at the 2007 edition of the Taormina Film Festival. 66th Venice International Film Festival, film, produced by jellyfish movie in collaboration with mediaset premiumwas released in 2009, after a process lasting nearly 3 years, costing as much as 28 million euros and grossed 16 million at the worldwide box office.
Read also Baria: where was it filmed? Here are the film locations of Giuseppe Tornatore
3. also weigh it (21 million) is one of the most expensive Italian films ever made
The most expensive and most distributed branded films are in third place in the ranking checo zalone, weigh it, produced by jellyfish movie And taodu movieaction comes from an idea paolo virgi, who then contacts the Apulian comedians, who are credited as co-writers. Total outlay required for 9 months of recovery between different regions of Kenya, Malta, Morocco and Italy 21 million eurosThen to break the bank at the box office with a collection of 46.2 million.
Read also Tolo Tolo: Plot and guide to the cast of the film by Checco Zalone
4. They (18 million)
They film directed by Paolo Sorrentino and divided into two parts (them 1 And them 2) tells about the public and private life of Silvio Berlusconi (played by a brilliant Tony Servillo, Italian-French co-production that sees the union of forces between indigo film, pathé And france 2 cinemawith a budget of 18 million euros It did not succeed in recouping the expenses, at least at the box office, earning for both films no more than 6.5 million.
5. me, caligula (17.5 million)
When there was no talk of the euro, a film produced in collaboration with Italy and the United States was made with a budget of approx. $17.5 million, Caligula Of Tinto Brassthen reassigned as me, caligula, the historical-porn cult thriller that stunned the world in 1979 after a relentless production process that struggled to get approval to distribute for a long time. film produced by Penthouse Films International And film felixTogether malcolm mcdowell As the protagonist, despite the ban on minors, he managed to gross over 23 million at the box office.
ALSO READ Caligula by Tinto Brass to cause a scandal in Cannes 2023: “My lawyers are dealing with it”
6. Both diabolik (15 million) One of the most expensive Italian films
Coming back to current affairs, both the films directed by manatee brothers, diabolik And Diabolik – Ginkgo on the attack!Also included in the ranking of the most expensive Italian films ever made, dedicated to the masked thief hero of the comics of the Giussani sisters. Budget for both feature films produced by wax cream And Rai Cinemait was about 15 million euros And, as far as the box office is concerned, it brought in 2.6 million to the coffers of the rights holders for the first chapter and less than 1.5 million for the second.
Read also Diabolik – Ginkgo on the attack! – Film review by Manetti Brothers.
7. waiting for the barbarians (15 million)
In his first English language film, waiting for the barbariansitalian director cyrus war Directing Johnny Depp, Robert Pattinson And mark rylance In the film adaptation of the novel of the same name written by JM Coetzee. Work, produced in Italy by ervolino entertainment And Ambi Media Group And the cost, as in the previous ones, about 15 million eurosOnly a little over a month’s shooting was required in order to be presented at the 76th Venice International Film Festival and distributed from late September 2020. However, the collection recorded at the box office is less than one million.
Read also Venezia 76 – Waiting for the barbarians: review
8. freaks out (13 million)
for a cost of approx 13 million euros, freaks outGroundbreaking film written by Nicolas Guaglianone and directed by Gabriel Manetti for the production of goon films, lucky red, Rai Cinema And gapbusterseven if it does not exceed the income 3 million euros, represents one of the best adventures at the Italian box office for 2021 strongly disrupted by the pandemic. The distribution of the film, scheduled for autumn 2020, was actually postponed for almost a year after its presentation at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival.
Read also Venice 78 – Freaks Out: film review by Gabriele Manetti
9. Leopard (3 billion lire)
Based on the novel by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa and winner golden palm in Cannes in 1963, Leopard one of the most famous works of Federico Fellini and Italian cinematography in general. the film was produced by titans which, realizing the high cost to achieve this, began co-production talks with the French Societe Nouvelle Pathé Cinemafor the total budget reaching i 3 billion lire, The highest receipts of 2.3 billion equivalent at the Italian box office that season were not enough to cover the expenses and decreed financial bankruptcy for Titanus.
ALSO READ The Leopard: All the production difficulties of an unforgettable blockbuster
10. Cabiria (1 million lire)
To end, let’s go back 100 years with a budget whose limits can only be understood when considered in relation to its time. million lire spent on building Cabiriaproduced by italy cinemadirector John Pastrone and co-written with Gabriel D’Annunziorepresents an enormous amount for 1914 and can be explained by the impressive sets used, costumes and some technical innovations such as the first camera movements.
ALSO READ 8 Italian Directors Who Made Themselves