Gaumont, the venerable French film and television group behind “The Intouchables” and “Lupin,” is launching in Italy with Marco Rosi, an industry veteran joining from Lux Vide, and a bullish first slate.
The company is already well-established in the U.S., the U.K. and Germany. Its expansion in Italy represents a logical step in Gaumont’s global strategy since the country ranks as a key European market and boasts a fertile ground for content creation.
Rosi, who was Lux Vide’s head of international co-productions and worked on prestige Italian series such as “Medici,” “Devils” and “Leonardo,” has been appointed general manager of Gaumont’s Italian operation. As such, he will lead a dedicated team across development and production and will report directly to Christophe Riandee, vice CEO of Gaumont. The banner will be headquartered in Rome, and will be focused on Italian-language TV series. Gaumont suggested that it may make a foray into Italian movies as well.
“We are excited to expand our footprint in Italy and thrilled to become a home for Italian talents,” said Riandee, adding that he’s “known Marco for years and [has] always praised his good taste, his solid experience and his ability to nurture projects and mentor talents.”
Rosi, meanwhile, said he was honored to be joining “such a prestigious group, which has made and is making the history of cinema and TV.”
He added: “Gaumont has always been a leader in the creation of authentic and innovative content combined with a passion for storytelling which captivates audiences worldwide.”
The executive added that he was “certain that the arrival of Gaumont in Italy will further contribute to enhancing the creativity of the many talents in the Italian audiovisual sector, while further boosting the economic growth of the industry.”
Prior to Lux Vide, Rosi led the programming efforts of both linear and non-linear channels at Fox International Channels Italy, and Turner Broadcasting Italy groups.
Gaumont Italy already has three series projects in the pipeline with topnotch talent attached, including a murder mystery set within the walls of the Vatican, developed in collaboration with Elsinore Film and written by director Fausto Brizzi (“Forever Young”), and screenwriter Paola Mammini (“Perfect Strangers,” “My Brother, My Sister”); a drama series based on “E verrà un altro inverno,” a crime novel by Massimo Carlotto, and written by Carlotto together with Claudia De Angelis (“La Belva”), Giovanni Galassi, Tommaso Matano and Ivano Fachin (“Survivors,” “Curon”).
The banner is also developing a LGBTQ+ dramedy, which is being penned by Alessandra Maffiolini with Paola Randi, the director of Netflix’s “Luna Nera” and “Zero.”
Global media rights for Gaumont Italy projects were negotiated by Rosi in collaboration with Italian boutique law firm Bellettini-Lazzareschi-Mustilli.
Gaumont boasts a stellar track record in international TV, having delivered major hits in France, the U.S. and Germany. Besides “Lupin,” which topped Netflix’s charts and was watched by 70 million households on the service during its first month, Gaumont also produced the flagship show “Narcos,” whose sixth season debuted at the top of Netflix’s global top 10 list where it remains; and “Barbarians,” an epic German historical drama whose first season also ranked as one of the most watched series on Netflix.
