Joe Wright (Darkest Hour, Atonement) is set to develop and direct a new historical TV drama titled M, which will chronicle Benito Mussolini’s rise to power. Luca Guadagnino (Suspiria, Bones and All) is a producer of the series and it will be written by Stefano Bises (Gomorrah, The New Pope) in collaboration with Davide Serino (1992).
The high-end series will be based on Antonio Scurati’s novel M. Son of the Century, the story of which “traces the birth of Fascism in Italy and Mussolini’s ascent with an innovative approach that has sparked debate about the Fascist dictator’s legacy in Italy and abroad.”
The show’s producer Lorenzo Mieli, talked about the project, saying: “The writer understood and put on paper, with facts and documents and everything, that Mussolini is the guy – him and only him – who created what we now know as populism and Fascism.”
He went on to say: “Fascism is something that today is relevant for everyone. It’s been relevant for the past decades, but it’s especially relevant now all over the world. And it’s interesting because before Trump the U.S. and Anglo-Saxon culture thought Fascism was something that was not on their radar. But now it is. That’s why I thought of an Anglo-Saxon director [for ‘M’].”
When talking about Wright directing the series, he said:
More specifically, Mieli thinks Wright is perfect for “M” because “I love the way he’s dealt with politics [in ‘Darkest Hour’] and I love the way he changes genres.” He said Wright “fell in love with the material” and is “working in Rome now, dealing with one of the worst and most iconic characters in our history.”
The series will consist of eight episodes, and it will start shooting soon at Rome’s Cinecittà Studios. The cast is being kept under wraps, though Mieli says Mussolini will be played by an A-list talent.
Source: Variety
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