The First Look at Netflix's Italian Period Drama 'The Leopard' Is Lush and Ambitious
The world of period drama is steadily getting bigger. Not only are we (finally!) getting more stories focused on British periods outside of the Regency (Mary & George, Monstrous Beauty), lavish foreign dramas are rapidly picking up the slack when it comes to historical dramas set outside the United Kingdom. From German series like The Empress to Danish shows like Seaside Hotel and Korean dramas like Kingdom, it’s easier than ever to add a little international flair to your viewing queue. And if these first images are anything to go by, Netflix’s new Italian series The Leopard will belong on your must-watch list.
The six-part drama is the streamer’s most ambitious Italian original to date. It will theoretically be the lush, sweeping period drama that will rival English language hits like Downton Abbey and The Crown. According to Variety, the production involves thousands of extras and custom-made costumes, furnishings, and sets created after intense study of the period in which it is set.
The series is based on the classic novel Il Gattopardo by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, an Italian writer, nobleman, and the last Prince of Lampedusa. His only book, Il Gattopardo, was first published posthumously in 1958 and is set in his native Sicily during the time of the Risorgimento, or the unification of Italy, during the late nineteenth century. An international bestseller, it was ultimately translated into more than 40 languages.
