Ferzan Özpetek may not be a household name, but our ears perk up every time the Turkish-Italian filmmaker announces a new feature. That’s because, for 25 years, Özpetek has been making dazzling films that center the multigenerational queer experience.
His 1997 debut, Steam: The Turkish Bath, is a must-see that’s as steamy as it sounds. We were head-over-heels for his 2010 comedy of errors, Loose Cannons. And his most recent film, The Goddess Of Fortune, was a frank exploration of being a daddy—in both senses of the word. Still, as prolific as Özpetek’s been, few of his Italian-language features have garnered a wider release stateside.
Related: Can a horny gay couple survive…becoming dads?
That’s what makes us especially eager for his next film, Nuovo Olimpo, which just began production and will be heading to Netflix in 2023—meaning it’ll have the chance to be seen far and wide!
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According to Variety, Nuovo Olimpo (in English, that’s “New Olympus”) is a period drama initially set in the late 1970s, and it follows two twenty-something gay men who have a chance encounter and then fall deeply in love, and then are torn apart by an “unexpected event.” The film then follows them both over the next three decades as they attempt to find each other once again.
A decades-spanning gay romance set in gorgeous Italy? Count us in!
Related: The gayest movies and TV shows coming to streaming in November 2022
As Variety writes, up-and-coming actors Damiano Gavino and Andrea Di Luigi will lead the film as our star-crossed lovers, with actors Luisa Ranieri (The Hand of God), Greta Scarano, Aurora Giovinazzo, Alvise Rigo, and Giancarlo Commare rounding out the cast.
Though Gavino and Di Luigi only have a few credits between them, the gorgeous stars give us plenty to be excited about. For one, they both look fantastic in ’70s-era threads—as confirmed by the Netflix press image above—so that’s a good start!
Here’s everything else we could find out about the two actors for now. But, mark our words: Gavino, Di Luigi, and Özpetek will be household names by the time Nuovo Olimpo hits Netflix next year.
Damiano Gavino
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This Rome-born actor has already built quite a following for himself thanks to his breakthrough role in the Italian drama, Un Professore. The popular series is a remake of the Spanish-Catalan series, Merlí, about an unconventional high school professor, which found a growing fanbase after it hit Netflix in 2016. Next, Gavino is set to play a young Shakespeare in the series Shake. Fun fact: His sister, Lea Gavino, is also an actor, best known for her work in another globally popular teen series, SKAM Italia.
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Andrea Di Luigi
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Nuovo Olimpo represents a major step into the spotlight for Di Luigi, a 27-yar old actor who has previously done work in theater and starred in a handful of short films. His Instagram bio cheekily notes that he’s “failing big,” but Di Luigi might have to update that once his feature film debut makes him a star. Fun fact: He’s a drummer, too, and at one point was in an Italian rock band called Overgate, which put out an album in 2019.
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strix1
Ferzan Özpetek is a great Director…I have enjoyed most of the films and tv series he has directed or created. Can’t imagine “Nuovo Olimpo” will be a disappointment.