Official news regarding Boris Damast’s latest project—Vivaldi, the historical epic about one of the greatest Italian composers, is now scheduled for production in September of this year.
British actor Max Irons, recent star of Catherine Hardwicke’s Red Riding Hood, will be playing Antonio Vivaldi himself, while fellow Brit Claire Foy (BBC’s Little Dorrit) is also set to star as in another unknown lead role.
There are rumors that Neve Campbell, Tom Wilkinson, Alfred Molina, Jacqueline Bisset, and Sebastian Koch may join the cast of Vivaldi, although negotiations are still in process.
Vivaldi‘s director, Boris Damast, and Jeffrey Freedman are the co-authors of the screenplay, but the producers number among many major European firms. Mirko Ikonomoff of Italy’s Victory International, Josef Cirko of HCC Media Group (based in Hungary), Harald Reichebner of Luxembourg/German-based European Enterprises, Andrea Kikot of Vivaldi UK Ltd., Jean Luc van Damme of Belgium’s Banana Film, and Hannes Schalle of Germany’s Moonlake Entertainment are all taking part in this exciting production. However, Celsius Entertainment (London) will be in charge of all international sales of the film.
That being said, the movie’s plot is even more intriguing than its cast and crew. Here’s a taste of the basic synopsis of Vivaldi by Mike Stringer from Arts and Entertainment Playground:
The film will be based on the true story of the genius Italian priest and composer, Antonio Vivaldi, and chronicles, among other things, his painstaking endeavours to transform the lives of a group of troubled girls – all of whom were the illegitimate daughters of courtesans – into a world-class orchestra, who went onto play in all the greatest halls of Venice and eventually before the Pope himself. However, the powerful and sinister Venetian Society, suspecting Vivaldi of harboring ill-intententions, hatch a devious plot against him, consequently separating him from his girls and sending him into exile. But alas, Vivaldi does all in his power to save his beloved orchestra, his career, and the morality of Venice itself from the evil scheming of the Venetian Society.