During World War II, European countries other than Germany were also dealing with brutal fascist leaders such as Spain’s General Francisco Franco and Italy’s Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini, the two were closely tied to the Nazi regime. The latter is the focus of a new series from Joe Wright called “Mussolini: Son of The Century, which was just picked up by MUBI, who will handle the rights in North America, Latin America, Belguim, New Zealand, Luxembourg, Turkey, and India in a multi-territory deal with Fremantle as it will premiere sometime later this year.
MUBI has shared the announcement with us alongside a teaser trailer for the show that previously screened at the 81st Venice Film Festival.
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“Mussolini: Son of The Century” was co-written by Stefano Bises (“The New Pope,” “ZeroZeroZero”) and Davide Serino (“The King”), as the dramatic WWII series is based on the bestselling book by author Antonio Scurati as it “follows the rise to power of the infamous Italian political figure, Benito Mussolini, and the birth of fascism in Italy.”
An official logline:
A scathing contemporary portrait of Mussolini and his political rise, from the formation of the irregular militia of the Fasces of Combat to the imposition of the most ferocious dictatorships Italy has ever known.
It stars Luca Marinelli as the infamous WWII-era dictator, who was killed and saw his dead body publicly displayed. We assume the show is going to be yet another warning to future would-be fascist leaders that they could see a similar fate, mirroring the grim modern era of authoritarian leaders.
“This series was a chance to explore how charisma and chaos can coexist in a single man—and how that dangerous combination can reshape a nation. Luca Marinelli brings Mussolini’s volatility and magnetism to terrifying life. It was a privilege to work with such an extraordinary team on a story that feels both historical and disturbingly timeless. MUBI is the perfect home for the series—a platform that embraces daring, intelligent storytelling and treats its audience as collaborators in the experience,” Wright said in an official statement.
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You can watch that first-look footage from “Mussolini: Son of The Century” in the new teaser trailer below.