EXCLUSIVE: Isla Fisher and The Gilded Age‘s Blake Ritson have boarded the Al Pacino thriller Captivated inspired by the extraordinary true story of the 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III. Also joining the cast is Jackson Kelly (The Pitt, The Body). Dito Montiel is directing with production underway in Calabria and Rome, Italy.
The feature project is set against the backdrop of 1970s Italy and is billed as a new interpretation and angle on the famed kidnapping story, previously unexplored in Ridley Scott’s All the Money in the World and the FX series Trust.
Captivated is produced by Michael Mammoliti and Manasvi Mamgai of 32Red Entertainment, alongside Andrea Bucko and Nicky Weinstock of Sweetheart Entertainment, and producer Cassian Elwes. Additional producers include Michael Jefferson, Poppy Shaw of Calcott Films, Vinod Bhanushali of Bhanushali Studios Limited (BSL) and Anamaria Jakic.
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Producer and co-writer Mammoliti says, “For me, this project is deeply personal. My family has a direct connection to these events, and I grew up with a very different understanding of the story than the one audiences have seen on screen. With Dito, our remarkable cast and our producing partners, we have an opportunity to bring a new dimension to a story the world thinks it already knows.”
“After a decade of work, we’re proud to finally share this film with audiences,” said Andrea Bucko, producer.
“Saro Mammoliti’s story is utterly captivating, and I knew it needed a director who could capture its truth. What made A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints so special was the raw grit Dito Montiel brings to his storytelling, and that’s exactly why we trusted him with this movie. I’ve been a huge fan of his work for years, and he delivered beyond anything we hoped for.”
Montiel’s previous directing credits include A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints and Fighting. Behind the camera is cinematographer Stefan Ciupek, whose credits include the Oscar-winning Slumdog Millionaire, Rumors and the SXSW feature Brother Verses Brother from Ari Gold.
EPs are Emanuele Moretti, Navneet Chugh, Jason Hope, Maria Breese, Tony D’Souza, Oliver Trevena, Nachiketa Bhatt, Alina Gorun, Dominik Madani, Kerem Ozmen, Philip Nesterenko, Elizaveta Chalenko, Frank Walker, Ali Zahar, Tomer Shmulevich, Alex Engemann, Ryan Hawkins, Nini Le Huynh, Jess Maestro, Gian Gabriele Foschini, Monica Ruffo, Hilary Goldstein, Filomena Cusano, Ada Bonvini of The Family, Jay Burnley, Manouj Gupta, and Dalton Piche of 7 Cult. Co-executive producers are Jacob Martin, Thomas Eliopoulos II, Kayo Anderson, Yash Raaj Singh, Ravi Tilak, Izak Zebak, and Chelsea Tieu.
Voltage Pictures is handling international sales on the film. CAA Media Finance and WME are handling domestic distribution.
Fisher is represented by Anonymous Content, Curtis Brown Group, UTA, and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern. Ritson is repped by Curtis Brown Group and Peikoff Mahan. Jackson Kelly is repped by Gersh and 11:11 Entertainment. Oscar winner Pacino is repped by CAA and Don Steele at HJTH.