Antonio Banderas is set to headline an Ferruccio Lamborghini biopic opposite Alec Baldwin
The upcoming Lamborghini biopic from Andrea Iervolino and Monika Bacardi’s AMBI Media Group has today set Antonio Banderas to star as Ferruccio Lamborghini, founder of the famous car that bears his name. Alec Baldwin, meanwhile, is set to co-star as rival Enzo Ferrari. Academy Award nominee Michael Radford (The Merchant of Venice, The Postman) has signed on to direct the film.
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The Lamborghini biopic spans the long life of the iconic entrepreneur, from the manufacturing of tractors (Lamborghini Tractors) at the start of his career, to creating military vehicles during World War II, and then on to designing and building the Lamborghini cars that ultimately defined his profound legacy.
The film aims to tell an extraordinary multi-layered story of a man who helped an entire nation (Italy) get back on its feet after the horrors of WWII, designing a car that revolutionized the global automotive industry and gave much needed luster to the country at a pivotal juncture.
The AMBI Group optioned the rights to “Ferruccio Lamborghini: La storia ufficiale (The official story),” the biography written by his son Tonino Lamborghini, and are financing and producing with Academy Award winner Bobby Moresco (Crash, Million Dollar Baby) providing the adapted screenplay.
The Lamborghini biopic is also a fiery love story. Ferruccio Lamborghini wasn’t known for being subtle. He was one the wealthiest men in Italy. A lover of fast luxury cars, Lamborghini had one car for each day of the week, however Lamborghini’s personal loves extended far beyond cars. His love of women, celebrity lifestyle, and the business of car making made for prodigious drama in Lamborghini’s life and these pursuits and experiences will be just as much a part of the movie as the cars themselves.
“The life and story of Ferruccio Lamborghini is potently epic in so many ways,” says Andrea Iervolino. “The screenplay that Bobby penned is a true masterpiece that reflects this story and now Antonio, Alec and Michael will bring it to life in a way only they can — original, sexy and universally commercial.”
“We can’t think of any actors better equipped to take on the roles of Ferruccio Lamborghini and Enzo Ferrari than multidimensional leading men Antonio Banderas and Alec Baldwin,” adds Bacardi. “This story of Lamborghini is not only about cars, corporations and remarkable careers. There is a particularly fascinating, but lesser-known private life of Lamborghini, and a beautiful love story that will be fun to see brought to life by Antonio.”
“My book ‘Ferruccio Lamborghini. La storia ufficiale (The official story)’ is the only text perfectly respectful of the real life of my father, despite of numerous legends and anecdotes written or told by other people looking for a moment of celebrity,” says Tonino Lamborghini. “I really believe this film can translate into images and words the great humanity of Ferruccio and transmit to the viewers worldwide my father’s personality: a man full of energy, charisma and passion.”
AMBI plans to shoot the Lamborghini biopic in Italy as well as other locations around the world that played a role in shaping the legend of Italian businessman Ferruccio Lamborghini. AMBI Distribution, the worldwide sales arm of the AMBI Group, is handling global sales and will introduce the packaged project to buyers in Cannes with the working title Lamborghini – The Legend.
The Lamborghini biopic is not to be confused with Michael Mann’s Ferrari biopic, which has Hugh Jackman attached to play the leading role.
(Photo by Pablo Cuadra/WireImage)
