A Rebirth of "Hollywood on the Tiber"?

A bit of history:
Cinecittà Film Studios officially opened on April 28, 1937 by Benito Mussolini. More than 3000 movies were made here in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Among the films were 48 Oscar winners and 83 Oscar nominees. 

Filmmakers who have made epic blockbusters here - in no particular order: 

2015 could see the start of a new golden age for Rome’s film industry…..perhaps even a second era of “La Dolce Vita”.

• Francis Ford Coppola (Godfather III) 
  
• Martin Scorsese (Gangs of New York) 
  
• Mel Gibson (The Passion of The Christ) 
  
• Anthony Minghella (The English Patient) 
  
• King Vidor (War & Peace) 
  
• William Wyler (Ben Hur; Roman Holiday) 
  
• Renny Harlin (Cliff Hanger) 
  

• Joseph Mankiewicz (Cleopatra) 
  
• Federico Fellini (La Dolce Vita) 
  
• Roberto Rossellini (Roma Città Aperta) 
  
• Mervin Leroy (Quo Vadis) 
  
• Luchino Visconti (Bellissima) 
  
• Bernardo Bertolucci (The Last Emperor) 
  
• Sergio Leone (of Spaghetti Western fame)

Via Veneto, Rome circa 1950's/1960's Photo: La Stampa Online

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Films set in Italy are a powerful tool for tourism, and recent Italian government tax incentives will hopefully breathe new life back into what was once an incredibly important part of Italy’s economy and culture. According to sources, the following international producers should be filming in Rome early next year:

• MGM (Metro Goldwyn Mayer) will be back in Rome, inside the Cinecittà Studios, filming for 4 months from February 2015, with their remake of Ben Hur (Morgan Freeman in the cast); 
• for the first time – after 23 films – 007 finally makes it to Rome! Sam Mendes brings Daniel Craig as James Bond – the world's most famous secret agent – through the narrow cobbled streets of Rome’s Historic Centre, filming from 19th February - 12th March! Suggested scenes (could change): a chase through the Historic Centre; a car crashing into the Tiber; Bond jumping from a helicopter and landing by parachute onto Ponte Sisto; a nighttime car crash at Borgo Vittorio; a chase scene down Corso Vittorio Emanuele II; and other shots around the city. 
• And Paramount Pictures is already in its pre-production phase in Rome, for the filming of Zoolander II, with Ben Stiller and Penelope Cruz. In fact Ben Stiller has been spotted location-hunting in Sabaudia and San Felice Circeo, just down the coast between Rome and Sperlonga.
  

So 2015 should be an interesting start to what we hope will be an enthusiastic revival - with paparazzi chasing Hollywood stars down Via Veneto, like in the good old days! 

Will you be planning a trip to Rome to hopefully "bump into" one of your favourite actors?
Let us know what you think....


Header image: Laran Tours of Lazio
Cine camera image & film history: the Cinecittà website & photo gallery. 
Second image: La Stampa online.
2015 filming schedule sources 'Il Corriere della Sera'; 'Messaggero'. 

Thanks for stopping by.
We hope to see you in Rome soon!