‘La Storia,’ Fascist-Era Feminist Series, Scores Sales Ahead of Rome Fest Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent A Bahrain sovereign wealth fund is in advanced talks to invest €200 million ($213 million) in Italy’s nascent Tuscany Film Studios, which are being built by producer Andrea Iervolino just outside Florence. The technologically-advanced production complex, boasting a large set with a virtual water tank, an immersive 360 studio for live-action productions, a 250-acre backlot and a luxury hotel with a movie theater, is being built in the municipality of Impruneta in the Chianti countryside about 20 miles outside of Florence.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Film Festival has revealed details of the Red Sea Souk, the fest’s industry market that will offer meeting and networking opportunities revolving around new Arab and African product. The Souk will take place Dec. 2-5 alongside the Nov.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Chile’s pioneering fantasy/horror filmmaker Jorge Olguin, whose latest feature “Análogos” recently won the jury prize at the 51st Curtas Festival do Imaxinario in Galicia, Spain, is venturing into series-making for the first time. Backed by CNTV, Chile’s National Television Council, the series “Kalkutún: Trial of the Witches” will be participating in Ventana Sur’s SoloSerieS and Blood Window sections, thanks to a pact between CNTV and Ventana Sur, Latin America’s most prominent film and TV event.

The Traitors will return to BBC One and BBC iPlayer for a third series following the soon-to-be-aired second series of the hit reality TV show filmed at a Scots castle.

Emily Longeretta It turns out, you don’t have to wait — or pay. All 128 episodes of “Dawson’s Creek” are now available to stream on The CW app, Variety can exclusively announce. The fully ad-supported app, which has more than 96 million downloads, is available for free on all major platforms.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent WestEnd Films has scored multiple sales, including to North America, on British director Patrick Dickinson’s drama “Cottontail,” which stars Japan’s Lily Franky (“Shoplifters”) and Ciaran Hinds. The film, first announced at the AFM in 2019, won the prize for best first feature last week at the Rome Film Festival, where it had its world premiere.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter The animated horror series “Fright Krewe” has been renewed for Season 2 at Hulu and Peacock, Variety has learned exclusively. The 10-episode first season was released on Oct. 2.

Joe Otterson TV Reporter A series version of the iconic horror film “Poltergeist” is currently in early development at Amazon MGM Studios, Variety has learned exclusively. No writer is currently attached to the project. Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey will executive produce on behalf of Amblin Television.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Italy’s culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano has designated Italian journalist and writer Pietrangelo Buttafuoco as the new president of the Venice Biennale, the foundation that oversees the Venice Film Festival. Buttafuoco (pictured above, left), an openly right-wing member of Italy’s cultural establishment known to be an eclectic thinker, is now set to replace former film producer Roberto Cicutto (pictured, right) at the Biennale’s helm when Cicutto’s four-year mandate expires in March 2024.

EXCLUSIVE: Re: Uniting, a feature debut from Laura Adkin which reteams The Flash stars Jesse L. Martin and Michelle Harrison, is set to world premiere at the Austin Film Festival this coming weekend, and we’ve got a first-look clip, check it out above.

Naman Ramachandran “Zende,” a feature documentary about supercop Madhukar Zende, who arrested the notorious Charles Sobhraj twice, will have its world premiere at the Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival. Produced by Dora Digs Studios and directed by debutant Akshay Shah, “Zende” is one of the first Indian feature documentaries to use artificial intelligence (AI) technology to recreate and regenerate some of Mumbai’s most iconic locations and moments in history.

Federation Studios has launched an international theatrical film sales division with Sabine Chemaly.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Oscar-winning director Giuseppe Tornatore’s vintage TV series “Il Camorrista,” starring Ben Gazzara as one of the fiercest bosses of the Neapolitan Camorra crime syndicate, is being unearthed from the vault 37 years after the mobster himself quashed the show before it aired. “Il Camorrista” was shot in 1985 as part of an innovative production mounted by Italy’s glorious Titanus shingle and Silvio Berlusconi’s ReteItalia. The production comprised both a Tornatore feature film by the same title and the five-episode TV show.

John Hopewell Chief International Correspondent Chile’s “The Devil’s Vein” and “Lucila” and Mexico’s “Ch’ulel” figure among a 14-title lineup at Animation! Pitching Sessions, part of Ventana Sur, the Cannes Festival and Marché du Film’s biggest annual event organized beyond its May event on the Riviera – in this case in Buenos Aires hand in hand with Argentina’s INCAA film agency. Among bigger names, “The Devil’s Vein” is a 2D family-targeting fantasy adventure, from the director, German Acuña, and producer, Sebastián Ruz, of “Nahuel and the Magic Book,” a 2020 Annecy standout.

Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief “This Time,” a romantic drama reminiscent of Richard Linklater’s “Before Sunrise” trilogy, but not officially based on it, has been picked up for global distribution by fast-moving sales company EST N8. The story follows two high school sweethearts who unexpectedly reunite in Los Angeles 23 years after they were separated in Jakarta and must decide if they’re still in love. The film, directed by Sebastien Tobler, stars Ken Kirby (“Good Trouble,” “Dynasty”), Leila Perry (“Filthy Animals”) and was produced by Theresa Chiu. It had its world premiere at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival in May. The rights deal was brokered by Tenten Wei and Sophie Shi of EST N8.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent James Franco will play a U.S. Navy sailor stationed in post-World War II Naples, where he fathers a child, in gritty Italian drama “Hey Joe.” Directed by Claudio Giovannesi (“Gomorrah” TV series, “Piranhas”), the film is now shooting in the southern port city.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Rome Film Fest opener “There’s Still Tomorrow,” a bold period dramedy that marks the directorial debut of popular Italian actor Paola Cortellesi, has scored a slew of international sales. The film, shot in black-and-white and set in post-World War II Rome, riffs on Italy’s neorealist past, albeit with a female empowerment element angle and a contemporary A-list Italian cast.

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Veteran RAI exec Adriano De Maio has been trying to shake things up at the Italian state broadcaster since last May, when he was appointed head of film and drama. To contend with the unstoppable disruption caused by digital and streaming in Italy’s TV landscape, De Maio is trying to steer RAI toward programming that provides more cultural enrichment, while also catering to the youth demographic that drives traffic on the pubcaster’s RAI Play streaming platform — which has more than 23 million subscribers, way more than Netflix’s Italian customer base. As RAI faces possible budget cuts due to the government’s decision to lower its license fee [RAI’s current allocation for film and TV series was not immediately available], De Maio sat down with Variety in Rome to discuss his vision for the scripted content he’d like RAI to acquire for its viewers.

Streaming series, The Chosen, which follows the life of Jesus Christ will see all of its episodes in season 4 play first in theaters this coming February. Fathom Events is distributing. After the full-season run in theaters, The Chosen will see its debut across streaming platforms including The Chosen TV and mobile apps, broadcast and cable TV.  

Nick Vivarelli International Correspondent Veteran media exec Christian Toksvig is launching Cocoa Media, a distribution company dedicated to placing content on Free Advertising Supported Television (FAST) platforms. Cocoa has pacted with cutting edge Turkish content aggregator Merzigo to bring Turkish dramas into the FAST sphere.