Netflix's Ambitious Italian Period Drama 'The Leopard' Will Arrive in 2025

While Netflix is rightly known for its popular British period dramas like Bridgerton and The Crown, the streamer is rapidly building up its slate of international dramas. (And, no, we're not just talking about Squid Game.) Historical series like the German The Empress and the Italian The Law According to Lidia Poet have become surprisingly popular, crossing over into mainstream audiences' watchlists and the larger pop culture conversation. So it's probably not that surprising that Netflix is fully leaning into this trend, and aiming to launch one of its splashiest period series yet in 2025. 

The Leopard is a sweeping, six-part series adaptation of  Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's classic Il Gattopardo, which is widely considered to be one of the greatest Italian novels of all time. The book, set in his native Sicily during the unification of Italy in the late nineteenth century, was an international bestseller, and has been translated into over forty languages. And while most American viewers may not be familiar with this author or his work, if the sprawling teaser trailer is anything to go by, a lot of us are going to want to get up to speed real quick.

The story centers on nobleman Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, as he realizes his family's aristocratic way of life is threatened by revolution and the move towards Italian unification. Forced to break with tradition to secure his family's influence, he must arrange a marriage between his nephew Tancredi and the wealthy middle-class daughter of an influential Sicilian citizen, all while knowing his decision will break the heart of his favorite child Concetta. The book wrestles with many complicated themes, including the inevitable tension between life, mortality, decay, eternity, and legacy.

Here's the series synopsis. 

The Leopard is a dazzlingly sensuous epic, set against the backdrop of revolution in 1860s Sicily. At its heart is Don Fabrizio Corbera, the Prince of Salina, who leads a life surrounded by beauty and privilege. But as Italy moves towards unification and the old aristocratic order is threatened, he realizes that his family’s future is in jeopardy. New allegiances must be made, each one a threat to his principles. Eventually Don Fabrizio is faced with an impossible choice. He has the power to engineer a marriage, between the rich and beautiful Angelica and his nephew Tancredi, that could secure his family’s legacy, but doing so he would break his favorite daughter, Concetta’s heart. The series will be a modern exploration of timeless themes – power, love, and the cost of progress.

The series stars Kim Rossi Stewart (Romanzo Criminale) as Don Fabrizio and Deva Cassel (The Beautiful Summer)  as Angelica Sedara. The main cast also includes Saul Nanni (Love & Gelato) as the prince’s nephew, Tancredi Falconeri, and Benedetta Porcaroli (Baby) as Concetta, his cousin, who is madly in love with Tancredi. Paolo Calabresi, Francesco Colella, Astrid Meloni, and Greta Esposito are also part of the ensemble.

The Leopard is created by Richard Warlow, who co-wrote the drama alongside Benji Walters. Tom Shankland (episodes 1-3, 6) is the lead director, with Giuseppe Capotondi (episode 4) and Laura Luchetti (episode 5) each helming an installment. The director of photography is Nicolaj Bruel, with costume designs by Carlo Poggioli and Edoardo Russo.

Producers include Fabrizio Donvito, Daniel Campos Pavoncelli, Marco Cohen, and Benedetto Habib for Indiana Production and Will Gould, Frith Tiplady, and Matthew Read for Moonage Pictures.

The Leopard does not yet have a premiere date, but the series will arrive in 2025.