Fremantle’s Andrea Scrosati Talks Italy’s Production Renaissance, Luring Angelina Jolie For ‘Without Blood’ Shoot – MIA

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Hollywood no longer holds the same allure for top Italian film and TV talent as a result of Italy’s recent renaissance as a production hub, Fremantle exec Andrea Scrosati told a panel at Rome’s MIA market on Tuesday. “10 years ago, when Italian talents achieved big success with a film or series, they would get that famous call from Hollywood,” said Fremantle group COO and continental Europe CEO Scrosati. “Whoever was called by Hollywood, would go to Hollywood, and this was seen as a sign of having arrived,” he continued. “There was a sense that Italian industry was good at forming talents but that at a certain point they would leave.” The country’s tax credit for film and TV production, first introduced in 2008 and raised from 30% to 40% in 2020; investment in local infrastructure, topped by the overhaul of Rome’s historic Cinecittà film studios, as well as the resulting development of major local companies capable of handling big productions had transformed this state of affairs, he said. “Today, we see a situation where Italian productions compete in terms of quality, execution and thought, with their counterparts in France, Germany and the U.K.,” he said. “This has been a major step-change, so we have the type of production here, that before you had to go elsewhere to find.” A key game-changer has been the ongoing renovation and expansion of Italy’s historic Cinecittà film and TV studios, which are currently undergoing a €260m update, he added. “I remember when I was at Sky, when we were doing our first productions at Cinecittà many years ago, quite frankly, it was embarrassing,” he recounted, recalling his time at Sky Italia, where he spearheaded its drive into local film and TV content.