The Italian premier of Quentin Tarantino’s “The Hateful Eight” last January 28 was only the latest in a slew of developments at Cinecittà. The director himself attended the screening in the mythic Teatro 5, along with Kurt Russell, Michael Madsen and Ennio Morricone. The even was all about numbers: 888 invitees flowed into Teatro 5 to watch a 70mm film featuring 8 stars in a 188 minute long movie with a 12 minute intermission and a 3:48 overture by maestro Morricone.
There may have been more guests than the 888 Mr. Tarantino wanted, yet somehow we
managed to seat everyone so that they could immerse themselves in the 188-minute long Ultra Panavision 70 experience.
For the occasion, we recreated a set with a mountain cabin covered in snow in one corner of Teatro 5. I can only imagine Tarantino and the actors’ surprise at finding a reproduction of their western set!
Blowing people mind
We like to blow people’s minds at Cinecittà Studios, whether they’re our guests or our clients, and take pride in the fact that we’ve made it a habit of doing our own sets and special effects.
Every time we clean up the studios after a shoot is done, we destroy everything, wipe the floors, and clear away the dust and ruins of the latest creation. Then we start over again.
It amazes me. I lose sleep. It always seems as if the new set is taking too long, as if we might not finish it on time.
I have been at Cinecittà for almost 10 years, three as the CEO, and yet even when my team leaders tell me not to worry, I can’t. Then suddenly the set comes into its own, our painters bring it to life with color. And we remember why they’ve called us the factory of dreams since 1937. You can’t get used to it, you can only have a strong dependence on it all, the need to see more, and more, and more.
2015: A banner year
Since launching day, tens of thousands of people have had the chance to see “The Hateful Eight” in Teatro 5. If there were an award for most profitable reproduction, I believe we’d be in the running to win. That successful event was the perfect way to celebrate 2015, a banner year. The new Italian tax credit system has helped bring major productions to Italy; Spectre, Ben Hur, Zoolander 2 and other films have restored Rome to its Hollywood-on- the-Tiber heyday. The Italian tax credit, which has finally made Italy competitive with Canada, England and South Africa, is generous and effective: 25% of everything spent in Italy is returned in the form of a discount on all forms of taxes.
And then, there’s Rome!
I sincerely believe that Italy has a lot more to offer than just a tax credit. For starters, we have Cinecittà, the most beautiful place to work. And all around Cinecittà is Rome, the warmly receptive, eternally beautiful, uniquely stylish city.
We’ll meet again and often, I hope, as I report the latest news from Cinecittà. And if you happen to be in Rome, pay us a visit. Just take the A train to the Cinecittà stop, the gateway to a mythic world. See you soon.
* Giuseppe Basso is the Chief Executive Officer, Cinecittà Studios S.p.a.