“Things will have to change in order that they remain the same.” This famous quote by Don Fabrizio, prince of Salina, played magnificently by Burt Lancaster in Luchino Visconti’s epic drama “The Lepard” (1963), is often cited by Italian journalists, literary critics and politics. Based on the novel “Il Gattopardo” by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa (1896-1957), Visconti’s masterpiece depicts the decline of a noble Sicilian family. The patriarch, Fabrizio, Prince of Salina, witnesses the transfer of power in Sicily from the old Bourbon aristocracy to the new Kingdom of Italy.
“The Lepard”, one of the most epic movies of all time, was awarded the Palme d’Or for Best Picture in 1963. Visconti and part of this cast were also nominated for the Golden Globe Awards. The all-star cast included Burt Lancaster, Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale. In 2010, Gucci and the Film Foundation led by Martin Scorsese restored “Il Gattopardo”.
When Netflix announced the remake of “The Lepard” and presented the first trailer, the Italian Netflix audience was quite critical towards the aspirations of such a remake. They wrote that it was impossible to surpass a masterpiece like “Il Gattopardo”. One user wrote: “Imagine making a remake of Gone With The Wind in the States. Nobody would dare to do that.”
They also criticized the cast, especially Saul Nanni, 26, who plays Tancredi, originally played by Alain Delon, one of the most critically acclaimed actors of his generation, and Deva Cassel, 20, who plays Angelica, a role originally played by Claudia Cardinale. The only actor who wasn’t criticized was Kim Rossi Stuart, 55, who follows in Burt Lancaster’s footsteps and plays the Prince of Salina, the patriarch.
The Italian six-episode series will premiere on Netflix on 5 March 2025. It was filmed in Sicily – Palermo, Syracuse, Catania – and Rome and produced by Indiana Production and Moonage Pictures. Netflix announced the show as “a modern exploration of timeless themes – power, love, and the cost of progress”.
Tom Shankland (The Serpent, House of Cards, The Leftovers) is the director, alongside Giuseppe Capotondi (episode 4) and Laura Luchetti (episode 5).
Deva Cassel, who plays Angelica, the rich and beautiful daughter of Don Calogero Sedara, the town’s ambitious but vulgar mayor. Even though he’s very wealthy, his family has no titles. Angelica will help him to seep into the aristocartic world.
Deva Cassel is the eldest daughter of Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel, one of the most successful French actors. Deva grew up in Paris and landed her first campaign for Dolce & Gabbana in 2021. Her mother Monica has collaborated with Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce for over 30 years. Deva, who is represented by French model agency Karin, has mainly been booked by Italian, French and Spanish magazines. She is rarely booked for fashion shows.
In March 2024, Deva Cassel became Dior’s new international ambassador for fashion and makeup. She had already attended Dior’s fashion shows before as a guest, just like her mother, who still is a Dior ambassador. Even though she had no acting experience at all, Deva landed a leading role in the Italian film La bella estate. The film director Laura Luchetti also directed episode 5 of The Lepard.
Deva has 1.4 million followers on Instagram, her mother Monica Bellucci 5.8 million and her father Vincent Cassel 2 million followers.
Photos: Courtesy of Netflix / Lucia Iuorio
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If you want to watch the original full-length movie The Lepard by Luchino Visconti, click here. Please note that this version has no English subtitles.
