English
Fandango Sales has acquired all international rights to Galileo, an upcoming Italian-British co-production starring acclaimed actor Elio Germano as the legendary scientist Galileo Galilei. The film, directed by Roan Johnson, centers on Galilei’s confrontation with the Roman Inquisition over his groundbreaking scientific writings. Fandango introduced the project to international buyers at Rome’s MIA Market.
A Bold Take on a Historic Trial
The €8 million ($9 million) production blends drama and comedy. Germano, who won the best actor prize at Cannes for Daniele Luchetti’s Our Life, plays Galilei during his trial before the Inquisition. The confrontation stems from his treatise Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems, in which he proved the Copernican model correct and demonstrated, for the first time, that the Earth revolves around the Sun.
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Promotional materials describe the film as “not a conventionally biographical film, but a stream of consciousness that weaves together Galileo’s past and present.” The story covers a wide arc of his life. It begins with his religious upbringing as a boy, when his family moved to Florence in 1574 and sent him to the monastery school of Santa Maria di Vallombrosa.
From there, the narrative moves through his achievements at the University of Padua. These include discovering Jupiter’s four largest moons and observing the phases of Venus. The film also explores his relationship with partner Marina Gamba, with whom he had three children. Finally, it arrives at what the synopsis calls “the torment of choosing between faith and reason.”
Production and Key Partners
Principal photography began in late September and runs through November. Bibi Film produces the project alongside RAI Cinema, with participation from HBO Max. In addition to handling international sales, Fandango will also distribute the film in Italy.
Johnson wrote the screenplay himself. He is best known for the dramedy So Far So Good, which won the audience award at the 2014 Rome Film Festival. He also directed the 2016 Venice competitor Piuma, a teen pregnancy drama, and the musical Rider, a contemporary Milan-set love story that also premiered in Venice. Furthermore, he has helmed the long-running Sky series I delitti del BarLume.
Why the Story Still Matters
Raffaella Di Giulio, Fandango’s head of international sales and acquisitions, emphasized the film’s broad appeal. “Galileo’s story transcends borders, exploring the universal struggle to pursue knowledge in the face of established power,” she said.
Di Giulio also highlighted the creative team behind the project. “With Roan Johnson directing and Elio Germano in the lead, the film brings a globally recognized historical figure to the screen in a fresh light, balancing seriousness with playfulness, through a story that remains deeply relevant today,” she added.
Together, Johnson and Germano bring considerable credibility to the Galileo project. Both have strong track records at major European festivals. As a result, international buyers are expected to show significant interest as the film moves through post-production.
