The pandemic is hitting the Italian market hard. In the current epidemiological situation, which sees millions of citizens in quarantine, the box office is suffering. There was a 5% drop last weekend with €3,090,115 collected between 20 and 23 January, compared to €3,263,516 of the previous weekend, which itself suffered greatly when compared to the one before.

Among the few new releases arrived Canadian family feature presentation The Wolf and the Lion, which immediately took first place grossing €593,112 for a total of €621,646, knocking Spider-Man: No Way Home off the top spot after a month of undisputed domination (€547,201 for a total of €23,210,787). Third place for A Winning Family – King Richard taking in €417,898 and a total of €833,342. Scream (fourth place with €335,033 and a total of €710,121), Me Contro Te Il Film – Persi nel tempo, a kids comedy starring two successful Italian Youtubers (fifth place with €269,599 and a total of €2,952,771), America Latina (sixth place with €233,178 and a total of €477,933) continued their run. The latter is a thriller drama, directed by Damiano and Fabio D’Innocenzo, set in Latina, a Lazio province south of Rome, known for its reclaimed swamps, humid heat, and a disused nuclear power plant. The film tells the story of Massimo Sisti (Elio Germano), a wealthy dentist and owner of his own practice with a calm personality living in complete tranquility with his loving family, who unexpectedly finds himself experiencing a shocking and frightening event.

Matrix Resurrections drops to seventh place with €216,176 and a total of €2,452,694. Completing the ranking are Belli ciao, eighth with €187,063 and a total of €2,843,176), The King’s Man – The Origins (€175,795 and a total of €1,046,866) and House of Gucci with €158,127 and a total of €5,074,820.

As for the domestic scene, on January 27th, La notte più lunga dell’anno (The Longest Night of the Year- that of the winter solstice), a debut feature by Simone Aleandri, already in TFF 2021, will arrive in theaters. From the first dark lights of the evening to dawn, a gas station is the crossroads of the stories of the protagonists, including three young clubbers, a depressed 40-year-old cubist, and a university student in love with his teacher. The cast also includes Alessandro Haber, Massimo Popolizio and former Italian teen star Ambra Angiolini. Meanwhile, there is great anticipation for Giuseppe Tornatore’s documentary on the legendary composer Ennio Morricone Ennio: Il Maestro in theaters on February 17.

In the meantime, productions continue in Italy: ILBE (Iervolino and Lady Bacardi Entertainment), has announced the start of production of the film In the Fire, with an agreement with Saban Film for the distribution of the film for $1.5 million in some territories including the USA, Canada, the UK, Australia, France, and Germany. Several productions set in Calabria, in the deep southern heart of Italy, are coming up. Financed by the Calabria Film Commission, three short films, five documentaries, and eight feature films for a total of 16 productions are about to start filming.