Italian producer Andrea Iervolino is planning to bring to the big screen “Maserati: a Racing Life,” an English-language biopic about the family behind the high-performance automobiles that, along with Ferrari and Lamborghini, Italy is known for.
Iervolino’s AMBI Group – in which he is partnered with Monika Bacardi – previously produced the Bobby Moresco-directed biopic “Lamborghini: The Man Behind the Legend” and is also among producers of Micheal Mann’s upcoming “Ferrari” with Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz and Shailene Woodley. He told Variety he sees “Maserati” as a natural segue to those films about Italy’s iconic automakers.
“I want to celebrate the entrepreneurial genius of Italians, their history and humanity,” he said.
“Italy isn’t just pizza, mandolins, pasta and the mob,” Iervolino added. “It’s a country of many geniuses who left a huge legacy. When it comes to the auto making sector these families were pioneers, way ahead of the curve.”
The “Maserati” film’s international director and cast are still being decided. Iervolino said he plans to unveil the project, which is in development, to prospective buyers in Cannes. The plan is to shoot in Italy in September.
Maserati was founded in 1914 in a garage in the central Italian city of Bologna by three brothers: Alfieri, Ettore and Ernesto. The trident that is the company’s emblem is a replica of the one found in the Fountain of Neptune in Bologna. From early on the company, which is now known for exotic luxury cars, was tied to the world of auto racing. Maserati’s first Grand Prix racing car, called “Type 26,” is the vehicle that Alfieri Maserati was driving in the 1927 Messina Cup race when he had a near fatal crash. Alfieri died a few years later from complications related to that accident on March 3, 1932, at the age of 44. In 1937 the brothers, while remaining involved, sold a controlling stake in the company that is now owned by Fiat.
In 1939, Wilbur Shaw won the Indianapolis 500 at the wheel of the Maserati “Boyle Special.” He repeated the feat the following year, making Maserati the only European manufacturer to win the Indy 500 twice.
Iervolino said the film will be focussed on the figure of Alfieri Maserati who “died for his dream,” though the other brothers will also play a fundamental role. Unlike “Lamborghini” for which the producer bought the rights to a book by a Lamborghini family member, Iervolino in this case is basing the story on aspects of the Maserati family that he said are public domain. He is however in talks with the Maserati family and with the car company to get them on board.
AMBI has just completed principle photography in Italy on Scott Weintrob-directed action thriller “Paradox Effect” starring Olga Kurilenko and Harvey Keitel. Their recent productions include female-driven anthology “Tell It Like a Woman,” featuring among others Taraji P. Henson, Jennifer Hudson, Lucia Puenzo, and Eva Longoria. The film is Oscar-nominated for Diane Warren’s song “Applause.”
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