Diabolik, a new feature adaptation of the cult Italian comic book about the titular master thief, has sold across Europe and also reached major deals for South Korea and Latin America.
Beta Cinema, which is handling world sales on the film, said Wednesday that it has signed deals with Metropolitan in France, Flins & Piniculas in Spain and Sun Distribution Group for Portugal and Latin America for the action thriller, starring Giacomo Gianniotti (Grey’s Anatomy) as Diabolik. Mongrel Media has picked up Canadian rights to the feature, with Contents Gate taking Korea, AV-Jet International securing Taiwan and Discovery acquiring rights in the former Yugoslavia.
Marco and Antonio Manetti, directed the new Diabolik adaptation, setting the story, like the comic-book original, in the fictional Italian city of Clerville in the 1960s. Miriam Leone and Valerio Mastandrea co-star. The feature is a front-runner for Italy’s David di Donatello Awards, the local equivalent of the Oscars, will 11 nominations. The David di Donatello honors will be handed out on May 3.
One of the most popular comic-book series of all time, Diabolik has sold more than 150 million copies worldwide. There have been several previous adaptations, including a much-mocked 1968 feature film Danger: Diabolik from director Mario Bava, starring John Phillip Law, and an animated series, which aired on Fox Kids in Europe and Latin America in 2000-2001.
In 2012, European pay-TV group Sky announced a planned series adaptation of Diabolik but the project has not gone forward.
Beta will be kicking off presales to Diabolik sequels at the Cannes film market next month
