The Leopard (Italian: Il gattopardo) is a historical drama television series based on Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa's 1958 novel of the same name. Directed by Tom Shankland, Giuseppe Capotondi, and Laura Luchetti, it is the second adaptation of the novel after Luchino Visconti's 1963 film. The series was released on Netflix on 5 March 2025.
Contents
Synopsis
The Prince of Salina and his aristocratic family in 19th century Sicily face the changing social landscape of the Risorgimento.
Cast
Kim Rossi Stuart as Don Fabrizio Corbera, Prince of Salina
Benedetta Porcaroli as Concetta Corbera di Salina
Saul Nanni as Tancredi Falconeri
Deva Cassel as Angelica Sedara
Francesco Colella as Don Calogero Sedara
Astrid Meloni as Maria Stella Corbera di Salina
Paolo Calabresi as Father Pirrone
Gaetano Bruno as Governor Leonforte
Francesco Di Leva as Russo
Alessandro Sperduti as Colonel Bombello
Jozef Gjura as Tassoni
Romano Reggiani as Cavriaghi
Greta Esposito as Chiara Corbera di Salina
Dalila Ricotta as Caterina Corbera di Salina
Ruben Mulet Porena as Francesco Corbera di Salina
Alberto Rossi as Paolo Corbera di Salina
Anna Ferruzzo as Mother Superior
Production
The series was announced on 6 May 2022, corresponding with the opening of Netflix's Italian headquarters in Rome. It was allocated a budget of €40 million.
Casting
Kim Rossi Stuart, Benedetta Porcaroli, Deva Cassel, and Saul Nanni were announced as cast members on 26 April 2023. Both Nanni and Cassel expressed that they felt honored to reprise the roles of Alain Delon and Claudia Cardinale, respectively.
Filming
Principal photography began in April 2023. Filming took place over 105 days and required the use of 5,000 extras; 130 carriages, carts, and boats; 100 animals; and 12 animal trainers.
The series was shot on location in Sicily, with specific filming locations including Palermo, Catania, and Syracuse. In Palermo, filming took place at Palazzo Comitini, the Quattro Canti, Palazzo delle Aquile, and Villa Valguarnera. In and around Catania, filming took place at Palazzo Biscari and the Calanchi del Cannizzola. In and around Syracuse, filming took place at Palazzo Beneventano del Bosco and Santa Lucìa alla Badìa, both on the island of Ortygia. Production designer Dimitri Capuani stated that the team specifically avoided locations used in the 1963 film adaptation to differentiate the series from the film.
The series was also shot in Turin, specifically in the Museum of the Risorgimento, Palazzo Carignano, Piazza Carignano, Parco del Valentino, Piazza Palazzo di Città, Palazzo Birago di Borgaro, Palazzo Cisterna, Palazzo Civico, Parco ai Caduti dei Lager Nazisti, and Via Carlo Alberto. Interiors were also shot at Villa Parisi in Rome.
Release
A teaser trailer was released on 19 November 2024. The series was released on Netflix on 5 March 2025. Within five days of its release, the series had been viewed over 3 million times, making the Netflix Top 10 in over 30 countries.