Scripted

The new Sky Original series M. Il Figlio del Secolo will premiere at the 81st edition of the Venice International Film Festival. This highly anticipated series is adapted from the award-winning novel by Antonio Scurati, which won the prestigious Premio Strega and has become an international bestseller. The series delves into the rise of fascism in Italy and the ascent to power of Benito Mussolini.

Directed by Joe Wright, known for his acclaimed works such as "Darkest Hour," "Atonement," and "Cyrano," the series is a collaboration between Sky Studios and Lorenzo Mieli for The Apartment, a Fremantle group company. It is co-produced with Pathé and in association with Small Forward Productions, along with partnerships with Fremantle, CINECITTÀ S.p.A., and Sky. The series will be exclusively available on Sky and streaming on NOW in all Sky territories across Europe in 2025, with international distribution managed by Fremantle.

Luca Marinelli, one of Italy's most esteemed actors, plays the role of Mussolini. The story spans from the founding of the Fasci Italiani in 1919 to Mussolini’s notorious speech in Parliament in 1925 following the assassination of socialist deputy Giacomo Matteotti. Additionally, it provides an intimate look at Mussolini's personal life and relationships, including those with his wife Rachele, his lover Margherita Sarfatti, and other iconic figures of the era.

The series is written by Stefano Bises, known for Gomorrah – The Series, The New Pope, ZeroZeroZero, and Speravo de morì prima, alongside Davide Serino, known for 1992, 1993, Il Re, and Esterno Notte. The series' storyline and episodes are co-written by Bises, Serino, and Scurati, ensuring historical accuracy with events, characters, dialogues, and speeches all documented or verified by multiple sources.

The soundtrack is composed by Tom Rowlands, a member of the pioneering electronic music duo The Chemical Brothers. Renowned for bringing big beat to the forefront of pop culture and topping charts worldwide, The Chemical Brothers have garnered numerous awards, including six Grammy Awards, one Brit Award, one MTV Europe Music Award, and one NME Award.

The cast also features  talents such as Francesco Russo (as Cesare Rossi), Barbara Chichiarelli (as Margherita Sarfatti), Benedetta Cimatti (as Donna Rachele), Federico Majorana (as Amerigo Dumini), Lorenzo Zurzolo (as Italo Balbo), Federico Mainardi (as Albino Volpi), Maurizio Lombardi (as Emilio De Bono), Gianmarco Vettori (as Dino Grandi), Gaetano Bruno (as Giacomo Matteotti), Paolo Pierobon (as Gabriele D’Annunzio), Elena Lietti (as Velia Titta), Gianluca Gobbi (as Cesare Maria de Vecchi), Gabriele Falsetta (as Roberto Farinacci), and Vincenzo Nemolato (as Vittorio Emanuele III).