Marco Bellocchio’s ‘Falcon’ Sets Sales & Announces Louis Garrel In Role Of Fiat Boss John Elkann

Rai Cinema International Distribution has boarded sales on Marco Bellocchio’s financial thriller Falcon, inspired by the life of late Fiat-Chrysler automobile exec Sergio Marchionne, as it films in Toronto.

In new casting additions, previously announced lead Pierfrancesco Favino is being joined by Louis Garrel, Benedetta Cimatti and Barbara Ronchi, with the participation of Valeria Bruni Tedeschi.

The picture delves into the story of the Marchionne, the Italian-Canada automobile exec credited with reviving Italy’s Turin-based car company Fiat in the 2000s and merging it with then ailing U.S. auto manufacturer Chrysler.

It will recount how Sergio Marchionne (Favino) came to the rescue of Italy’s most famous car manufacturer in 2004 as it lay on the verge of collapse in the wake of the death of its longtime boss, the legendary industrialist Gianni Agnelli.

Ruthless and visionary, Marchionne axed the top management. He then took Agnelli’s grandson, John Elkann (Garrel), under his wing to teach the young heir, suddenly burdened with the family’s legacy, the art of command.

Marchionne then took on the U.S. car manufacturer General Motors, disentangling Fiat from a disadvantage strategic alliance, and went on to save rival Chrysler from bankruptcy by merging it with Fiat.

Falcon is co-written by Marco Bellocchio with Ludovica Rampoldi, Andrea Di Stefano, Stefano Rulli and with the participation of Oliviero Del Papa.

Talking to Deadline about the project last year, Bellocchio said of Marchionne: “I’m fascinated by his journey and his ability, as an Italian who stood up to American big business, to defend Fiat and then even take over Chrysler, which was bankrupt, to make a major group.”

He also revealed that the title of Falcon is inspired by the fact that Marchionne would always travel on a Falcon business jet.

“He would travel went back and forth from Turin on a Falcon, so we’ve given it this title,” he said.

Falcon is produced by Kavac Film, Rai Cinema, with Emotion Network in collaboration with STLA Europe.

The feature has already shot for two weeks in September in Toronto and Niagara Falls, moving to the Piedmont region of Italy and to Rome, and then returning to Canada and the United States in early 2027. 01 Distribution will release the film in Italy.

The project reunites Bellocchio with a number of longtime creative collaborators, including production designer Andrea Castorina, costume designer Daria Calvelli, and editor Francesca Calvelli, all of whom worked on Bellocchio on projects including The Traitor, Exterior Night and Kidnapped. He is also joined for the first time by director of photography Matteo Cocco (The Weight, Hidden Away).