Giovanni Bogani
Cinecitta in Tuscany. Very modern avant-garde film studios on the outskirts of Florence. And James Franco, who says: “I’ll come again tomorrow.” It will be called Tuscany Film Studio and will host national and international productions from 2024. The project belongs to Andrea Iervolino, an Italian-Canadian film producer. Thirty-five years with a breathtaking career. Under the contract, such actors as Johnny Depp, Antonio Banderas, John Travolta work with him: in 2018 he was awarded the role of the Knight of the Republic. Not bad for a boy born on the outskirts of the suburbs of Cassino, raised penniless and bullied by his classmates for being shy and having a slight stammer accentuated by discomfort and emotion. A shy but determined boy. Who, at the age of twenty, managed to make his first film for the collection of city shopkeepers: since then he has not stopped.
How did the idea of a film studio in Tuscany come about?
“Because Tuscany itself is already the most beautiful scenery in the world. An actor would come running here to shoot. But there are no such technological and avant-garde film studios as we have.”
What will be at the forefront?
“It will be the biggest film studio in Italy equipped for shooting in VR, in virtual reality. And it will be the first studio equipped for 360-degree shooting, content for Apple glasses: you put them on and you see immersive content.”
Will you also have traditional film studios, for cinema as we are used to seeing it?
“Yes, there will be filming locations, a cinema open to the public, and a super-luxury hotel designed primarily for stars who come here to film their films, but also available to private clients.”
How much will all this cost? “Currently, investments amount to 50 million euros. Two weeks ago in Rome I spoke about the project with James Franco.
and he was delighted. But I also think about the actors I’ve worked with the most in recent years: Johnny Depp, Antonio Banderas, John Travolta. In terms of timing, my goal is to start production as early as the fall of 2024, when the first studios are already in operation, and we will continue to work on the implementation of the studios throughout 2024.