Television
June 2, 2004
Warner Bros. Pictures Italy Signs Three Picture Deal With Vanzina Brothers’ International Video 80
(June 2, 2004 – Rome, Italy) – Warner Bros. Pictures Italy will collaborate with the Vanzina brothers, through their production company, International Video 80, on three Italian-language films. The films will be directed by Carlo Vanzina and co-written by Carlo and his brother Enrico. Warner Bros. Pictures International will hold all worldwide distribution rights.
“This agreement marks our second collaboration with the Vanzina brothers. After the success of our first, ‘Febbre da Cavallo – La Mandrakata,’ which reached €4.9 million in Italian box office, we were confident that the results of continuing our relationship had great potential to be fruitful and mutually beneficial,” said Richard Fox, Executive Vice President, International, Warner Bros. Entertainment.
“Carlo and Enrico possess great instincts about the comic sensibility and timing that is suited to Italian tastes, so we’re tremendously pleased to be working with them again,” said Simona Benzakein, Vice President, European Productions, Warner Bros. Pictures.
“The Vanzina name holds great caché in Italy. It is a privilege to collaborate with Carlo and Enrico again and we will work earnestly to deliver films that are on par with their previous work,” said Paolo Ferrari, Managing Director, Warner Bros. Pictures Italy.
“We're very happy to work with Warner Bros. because it's a great opportunity for Italian cinema to have as a partner a major company who, as we do, believe in cinema as entertainment and give us enormous creative freedom,” said Enrico and Carlo Vanzina.
“Febbre da Cavallo – La Mandrakata” is the sequel to “Febbre da Cavallo,” directed in 1976 by Steno Vanzina, Carlo and Enrico’s father, which soon became one of Italy’s most loved comedies and reached a cult status. The Vanzina brothers’ latest film, “Le Barzellette,” which was released in February 5, 2004 in Italy, has achieved €7.4 million in in-country box office.
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