Christmas showdown (part 2)

by Camillo de Marco

14/12/2006 - Tomorrow, 730 screens will welcome Natale a New York, the latest of the customary holiday comedies directed by Neri Parenti and produced by Aurelio De Laurentiis (Filmauro), starring Christian De Sica, Massimo Ghini, Sabrina Ferilli and Claudio Bisio.

The €10m film ("€1.8m more over the established budget”, admits De Laurentiis), will go up against 510 prints of Olé by the Vanzina brothers, released by Medusa and featuring Massimo Boldi and Vincenzo Salemme; as well as Alessandro D'Alatri’s Commediasexi [trailer] , distributed by 01 on 350 screens.

"We welcome the competition,” De Laurentiis told Cineuropa, “against US cinema. Our film will achieve its usual fantastic results at the box office, I’m not afraid of other Italian films. On the contrary, I’m glad they’re there".

Natale a New York will be released simultaneously in Switzerland and Germany. Set in the Big Apple, the comedy is divided into two interwoven episodes, "the first will be farcical, the second with a younger bent”, explains Parenti.

De Laurentiis has also announced an updated remake of My Friends, the film by Mario Monicelli with Ugo Tognazzi and Philippe Noiret that became a comedy classic, also to be directed by Parenti, who may take a break from his Christmas films next year.

(Translated from Italian)