Antonio Banderas has signed on to star in The Monster Of Florence, a limited series about a real-life Italian serial killer.
The project is in the works at Studiocanal, with Danish filmmaker Nikolaj Arcel (A Royal Affair) directing the series, which he also co-wrote with Anders Thomas Jensen (In A Better World).
The series will be based on the bestselling nonfiction book of the same name by American novelist Douglas Preston and Italian crime reporter Mario Spezi, with the latter being portrayed by Banderas in the show.
Preston and Spezi’s book follows the extraordinary investigation into “one of the most riveting and notorious serial murder cases in European history,” per Studiocanal. Incredibly, Spezi was himself accused of being the killer at one point, though he and Preston eventually uncovered the killer and were somehow able to interview him.
Their book went on to sell more than half a million copies, and it has been published in 24 languages. That, combined with the fact that it’s a true crime story, should equal a bidding war from networks and streamers who know that anything to do with a fascinating murder case usually draws viewers in.
“The book is an absolute page-turner; powerful, compelling, dangerous, and personal. You simply can’t believe this all happened to them.
We can’t wait to begin production on the series in Florence and to be able to work with one of our favorite actors Antonio Banderas“, Studiocanal’s Ron Halpern told Variety.
Other true crime serial killer projects in the works in Hollywood include Taron Egerton and Paul Walter Hauser starring in Apple series In With The Devil, while Anna Kendrick is leading a film about the time an at-large serial killer appeared as a contestant on The Dating Game.
Banderas earned a recent Academy Award nomination for his starring role in Pain & Glory, but he can currently be seen in The Hitman’s Wife’s Bodyguard.
He’ll soon be appearing alongside Penelope Cruz in Official Competition, while he also has a role in Sony’s Uncharted movie, which stars Tom Holland and Mark Wahlberg.
#Peace.Love.TheMonsterOfFlorence
