A new Direction Charted for Roman Nights - the Bio Pic of Anna Magnani and Tennessee Williams - Peter Bogdanovich Signed on to Direct Bio Film

playwright Franco D'Alessandro has re-acquired his feature film rights to make the film of his acclaimed play Roman Nights. Peter Bogdanovich has signed on to direct the film which will shoot in New York and Rome.

(PRWEB) May 6, 2005 -- In a turn of events author/playwright Franco D'Alessandro has re-acquired the film rights to his screenplay Roman Nights.

Along with the play's original Off-Broadway producer Suzanne Corso, and London producer Patricia Cleary, and NY based doc/indie guru Rose Ganguzza, D'Alessandro will now be a producer on the film shot from his screenplay and which is based upon his produced play. The scribe is eager to pursue his vision of the story of Anna Magnani and Tennessee Williams set in Rome in the 1950s and 1960s.

D'Alessandro says: "Bogdanovich is the ideal director for a film like this. His vast knowledge and experience of this era (late 1940s-1970s), his fantastic cinematic ability to tell intimate stories amidst a particular tableau is essential. Also Peter gets these people... he has lived many lives, with many ups and downs, he can relate to being on top and then being betrayed and pushed away. Williams and Magnani were known for their comebacks, and so is Peter Bogdanovich. We are in great hands with this master of cinema."

D'Alessandro desires to have an authentic cast of an American Williams and an Italian Magnani, and names that have come up to play Tennessee Williams are Peter Sarsgaard, Robert Downey Jr.,or scotsman Ewan McGregor, and for Anna Magnani: Laura Morante, Giovanna Mezzogiorno, Lidia Vitale.

This prestige project -with New York and Italian flair and plenty of juicy cameo parts- has currently three different 'major-minis' interested to produce, budgeted at $10-$12 million.

Acclaimed director Peter Bogdanovich has signed on to helm the film, which promises to elucidate the little-known artist-muse relationship that Williams and Magnani shared for almost 25 years, but also to be a dramatic, passionate, funny, and heartening cinematic tale of art and friendship as life's salves.

Announcements regarding production and casting expected throughout the summer.

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