Riccardo Scamarcio Joins Cast of "John Wick 2"

Update to our original January 18 post..

- According to the Hollywood Reporter, the follow-up to John Wick has been given an official title — John Wick, Chapter 2 — and a release date from Lionsgate: Feb. 10, 2017.

It's just been reported that Keanu Reeves is in Rome shooting his new film, "John Wick 2" with Italian actors Riccardo Scamarcio and Claudia Gerini. The film is an action-thriller and sequel to "John Wick". Shooting began last October in New York City. John Wick, played by Reeves, is a hitman that comes out of retirement to seek vengeance for the theft of his vintage car and the killing of his puppy, a gift from his recently deceased wife. The scenes being shot in Italy for the sequel reportedly take his career to the international level.

Riccardo Scamarcio

One of Italy's most recognizable faces, Riccardo Scamarcio has built a solid career based on the diversity in the roles he chooses and the intensity with which he plays them.

Born in Puglia in 1979 under the sign of Scorpio, Scamarcio has been widely recognized for his striking southern Italian looks and was labeled a sex symbol right away. That label was not all bad for him as it opened doors in his career and paved the way for him to take on complicated roles and prove that he is more than just another handsome face. He studied acting at the Scuola Nazionale di Cinema in Rome and also did some modeling during his college years. His first role was in a TV mini-series in 2001, and his first feature film role in was in Luca Lucini's 2004 hit, "Tre metri sopra il cielo" (Three Steps Over Heaven), which solidified his teen-idol status but also gave audiences insight into the talent of one of Italy's most celebrated actors. However it was his role as Andrea Utano in Marco Tullio Giordana's 6-hour epic film, "La meglio gioventù" (The Best of Youth) that put Scamarcio on the map as serious cinematic contender.

Another film that’s had much success worldwide is Daniele Luchetti's "Mio fratello è figlio unico" (My Brother is an Only Child). The 2007 film is a coming of age story that centers on two brothers with different beliefs living in turbulent times. Brothers Accio and Manrico, played by Scamarcio and Elio Germano, grow up in the 60's and 70's during Italy's restless political climate. One is communist while the other is fascist. Putting their differences aside in order to keep their family together is the biggest challenge they face. Writers Stefano Rulli and Sandro Petraglia, who also wrote "La meglio gioventù" created another well scripted film, which also serves as a history lesson about Italy's tumultuous past. Scamarcio shines as the confident, vocal brother who seems to get whatever he wants with his outgoing personality.

Scamarcio presented a quite different character in the French film, “Eden à l’Ouest” (East is West), which was directed by Costa-Gravas in 2009. With strong conviction, Scamarcio takes on the starring role of Elias, an exhausted but diligent illegal immigrant that travels through Europe in search of work. Along the way, he meets other migrant workers like himself who are just trying to make a living and support their families in the European Union. The film premiered at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival and has won many accolades along the way, including the Critic’s Award at the City of Lights, a French Film Festival held in Los Angeles.

Riccardo Scamarcio makes an effort to keep his personal life private, with the exception of his relationship with Italian actress/director Valeria Golino. The two met during the shooting of their film, "Texas", which was directed by Fausto Paravidino in 2005. The gorgeous couple is a fixture on Red Carpets all over the world.

Scamarcio recently finished up a theater engagement as Romeo in "Romeo and Juliet" at the Teatro Eliseo in Rome. In an interview with Italian Vogue, he said, "It seems absurd, but I wanted to do theater out of a purely artistic, professional need." The play was a success and gave audiences the opportunity to see the actor perform in a much more intimate setting.

Scamarcio's films have had much international success and many are available through the internet including, "La meglio gioventù" and "Mio fratello è figlio unico", which are both available through Amazon.

Comments

The Timeless Talent of Stefania Sandrelli

On screen since the tender age of 14, she has captivated audiences for more than 50 years with a compelling combination of strength and vulnerability. She achieved stardom at just 14 years old playing the angelic cousin of a love-struck Marcello Mastroianni in Pietro Germi’s “Divorce Italian Style.” More than half a century later, she is still going strong and remains one of Italy’s most esteemed actors. Stefania Sandrelli was born on June 5, 1946, in Viareggio in the province of Lucca in northern Italy. As a child, she studied music and dance. Then in 1960, she won a beauty pageant and was featured on the cover of Le Ore magazine. Her purity captivated the country and shortly thereafter, movie offers began pouring in. Just one year later, she made her cinema debut in three feature films: Mario Sequi’s Gioventù di notte , Luciano Salce’s The Fascist, and Pietro Germi’s Divorce Italian Style . She instantly became a star and before long was a key figure in Italy’s legend...

"Roma 11:00" – The Tragic True Story of Desperation in a World of Poverty

There couldn’t have been a more perfect couple than Lucia Bosè and Raf Vallone in Giuseppe De Santis’ 1952 “Roma 11:00.” A tragic story based on true events, the film follows several young women in post-WWII Rome as they answer a job listing for a typist. When 200 women are in line on one staircase over several floors, a crack leads to the collapse of the entire staircase. Dozens were injured and one was killed. The tragedy spoke to the poverty and desperation that existed for so many Italians in the early 1950s before the ‘58 industrial boom began. Cesare Zavattini was one of the screenwriters. Elio Petri was the assistant director who interviewed many of the victims and cast a few in supporting roles. In addition to Bosè and Vallone, the film stars Carla Del Poggio, Massimo Girotti, Maria Grazia Francia, Lea Padovani and Delia Scala. The film is set in Largo Circense 37, while in reality the collapse took place in via Savoia 31, in the Salario district, on J...

'Salvatore Giuliano' blends documentary realism with dramatic storytelling

"Salvatore Giuliano" is a 1962 Italian crime drama directed by Francesco Rosi that dramatizes the real-life events surrounding the life and death of the legendary Sicilian bandit and folk hero. Giuliano rose to notoriety after the liberation of Sicily from fascist control in 1943, when he formed a gang that joined a separatist army. When the army dissolved, he and his gang intensified their outlaw activities. One of their most significant crimes was the Portella della Ginestra incident, during which dozens of men, women, and children were killed or wounded. This act prompted the authorities to launch an all-out war against Giuliano. His defenses slowly crumbled, and on July 5, 1959, his body was discovered in the courtyard of a house in Castelvetrano. That moment serves as the starting point for Rosi's film. Giuliano's fame is tied to his involvement in the Sicilian independence movement and his battles against both the Italian government and the Mafia in the 1940s a...

Federico Fellini: A Look into the Life and Career of an Icon

A Fellini family portrait “The term became a common word to describe something on the surface you can say is bizarre or strange, but actually is really like a painter working on a film,” said Martin Scorsese when asked to define “Felliniesque,” an adjective inspired by one of the greatest filmmakers of all time. The oldest of three children, Federico Fellini was born in the seaside town of Rimini in 1920. His father was a traveling salesman, so his mother was left to do the bulk of raising the children. One can argue that Fellini was born for his destiny. “You could tell that even as a child, he was different and unique. He was very intelligent, well above average. He was always the one to organize things, direct the others, make up games. He could control the other kids with just a look, said Fellini’s sister, Maddalena, in an interview with journalist Gideon Bachmann. Not only was Fellini directing the children, but he was also putting on shows and charging ...

Gianfranco Rosi to premiere 'Sotto le nuvole' at Venice Film Fest, exploring Naples' history

Documentary filmmaker Gianfranco Rosi will premiere his much-anticipated latest film at the upcoming 82nd Venice International Film Festival , which runs August 27 - Sept. 6. "Sotto le nuvole" (Below the Clouds) takes a deep dive into the rich history and culture of Naples and the area surrounding Mount Vesuvius. There has not been much information revealed but so far, we know that the film will focus on themes similar to those explored by Rosi in his previous works, such as the examination of Roman culture in "Sacro GRA" (2013) and Lampedusa's refugee crisis in "Fuocoammare" (2016). The film's synopsis reads, “The land around Vesuvius is a vast palimpsest. On the surface, underground and even beneath the sea of the modern city of Naples and its surroundings, the memory of history is etched into tunnels, walls and fissures, the remains of women, children and men — statues, buried cities. Only thin layers separate contemporary and ancient life, an...

Italian Cinema Today

Search This Blog