Italy’s Motion Picture Association Chief Francesco Rutelli on the Country’s Positive Restart (EXCLUSIVE)

Only some of Italian footballer Francesco Totti’s 334 career goals (307 scored with Roma, the only team he ever played for outside the nationals) are shown in Alex Infascelli’s bio-doc My Name Is Francesco Totti (Mi chiamo Francesco Totti). Nor is there very much aboutthe icon’s private life; there are no attempts at intimate revelations or powerful insights.

“Here we go again,” Diane Warren says. The Grammy, Emmy and Golden Globe Award winner has jumped on the phone to discuss “Io sì (Seen)” a beautiful ballad sung by Italian pop star Laura Pausini from Edoardo Ponti’s “The Life Ahead.” A song that also puts her right back in the middle of awards season.

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentGaumont’s “Aline, The Voice of Love,” a hotly anticipated film freely inspired by the life of Celine Dion, has already lured key distributors around the world ahead of its theatrical bow in November.“Aline, The Voice of Love” is directed by actor-turned-filmmaker Valerie Lemercier, a self-proclaimed fan of Dion who also headlines the movie and has described it as a tribute to the Quebec-born singer.Gaumont has pre-sold the movie to Italy (Lucky Red),

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe first posthumous Ennio Morricone album is ready for release.Four months after the Oscar-winning composer’s death in July, Morricone’s home label Decca Records and Italy’s CAM Sugar have joined forces on “Morricone Segreto,” a collection of pieces dating from the end of the 1960s to the early 1980s, featuring 7 previously unreleased tracks.“Morricone Segreto” (which translates to Secret Morricone) will be released on Nov.

Christopher Vourlias “Game of Thrones” co-executive producer Vince Gerardis is setting up a production company in Italy, Variety has learned.The new venture, dubbed CIAO, or Creatività Italiana Americana Organizzata, is the latest move from the Miami-based executive, who specializes in packaging and selling large-scale, world-building film and television projects based on literary properties.Gerardis is in talks with an Italian publisher for a deal that would give CIAO access to a range of

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentSony Pictures Television has picked up exclusive format and global distribution rights to “Medici” producer Lux Vide’s hit Italian medical drama “Doc – Nelle Tue Mani”.Under the deal, SPT Studios will develop a U.S. adaptation of the show, which has scored record ratings on Italy’s public broadcaster RAI.

Jake Kanter International TV EditorSony Pictures Television plans to create a U.S. television series based on Lux Vide’s Italian drama Doc – Nelle Tue Mani as part of a deal that also hands it the rights to sell the original show internationally.The Doctor House-meets-The Good Doctor series stars Luca Argentero (Eat Pray Love) as Andrea Fanti, a doctor who suffers a major head injury that wipes 12 years from his memory.

Lady Gaga is preparing for her next starring role.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentThe Match Factory has announced a slew of sales on Italian director Gianfranco Rosi’s “Notturno,” which has been making the rounds at top fests such as Venice, Toronto and New York.The deals were announced as Rome’s Oct.

Actor Dominic West came under huge scrutiny this week after he was pictured kissing actress Lily James, 31, during a break in Rome. Lily, who announced her second split from Doctor Who star Matt Smith last week, was seen passionately cuddling up to and kissing the actor in the Italian capital, sparking discussion about Dominic's current marriage to Catherine FitzGerald.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentAhead of the start of Rome’s film and TV market MIA on Wednesday, Variety spoke exclusively to Giancarlo Leone, the head of Italy’s TV producers’ association APA, about the issues producers in Italy face, including COVID production protocols, a drop in TV ad revenue, and establishing new rules of engagement with the streamers.Italy, after being among countries hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis, is now among territories coping quite well with the

Elsa Keslassy International CorrespondentBeta Film has closed multiple pre-sales deals on “Atlantic Crossing,” the prestige Norwegian period drama starring Sofia Helin (“The Bridge”) as Crown Princess Märtha, and Kyle MacLachlan (“Twin Peaks”) as U.S. President Franklin D.

Tom Grater, Nancy Tartaglione Focus Features has struck a deal for Wolf, an Irish drama starring George MacKay and Lily-Rose Depp. The Screen Ireland-backed picture recently wrapped after a COVID-19-safe shoot.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentRome’s MIA market, the growing showcase for international TV series, feature films and documentaries, is on track to hold its sixth edition both physically and online on Oct.14-18 in the Italian capital.

Nick Vivarelli International CorrespondentItalian sales company True Colours has taken international sales on two spanking new Cinema Italiano titles with strong cast elements in the leadup to Rome’s MIA market: “The Girl and the Giants,” a dark fable starring Valeria Golino, and Rome-set psychological thriller “The Guest Room,” toplining International Emmy-nominated Guido Caprino.True Colours chief Gaetano Maiorino said his company has booked physical screenings for five of its films set for