Organized by the Embassy of Italy in Washington in collaboration with Netflix, the U.S. premiere of the new series The Leopard was held last night at the headquarters of the Motion Picture Association in Washington. The series will be available on the platform starting today. During the evening, the first episode was screened in its original Italian version (with subtitles) to highlight the series’ strong Italian identity.
The Ambassador of Italy to the United States, Mariangela Zappia, emphasized that “the continued interest in Tomasi di Lampedusa’s novel here in the United States, more than sixty years after its publication, is a testament to the enduring relevance of the themes explored in The Leopard and to the fascination that Sicily holds overseas. We hope that more and more Americans, thanks also to this new Netflix series, will take an interest in the history and unique culture of our country and choose to visit our islands, discovering the many wonders that our territories have to offer.”
The event opened with a video message from actors Benedetta Porcaroli, Deva Cassel, and Saul Nanni, who greeted the audience from Rome, where they had presented the premiere at the Teatro dell’Opera (Rome Opera House) in the presence of Italy’s Minister of Culture, Alessandro Giuli.
In addition to Ambassador Zappia, the event featured remarks from Bela Bajaria, Netflix’s Chief Content Officer, and Charles Rivkin, Chairman of the Motion Picture Association, which represents major American film studios, including Netflix. Bajaria highlighted that The Leopard represents a significant investment for the global streaming giant in Italy, where the new series was entirely produced.
The event saw the participation of numerous distinguished guests, reflecting the strong interest of the American audience in the new Netflix series and in the story made famous by Luchino Visconti’s 1963 masterpiece.
