Italy’s Cinecittà Studios are back in the black with a small but significant €1.1 million ($1.2 million) operating profit for the fiscal year of 2025, it was announced on Tuesday just as three big Hollywood shoots in various stages are decamped on its vast backlot.
Following a fiscal 2024 in which the studios — which are undergoing a major revamp — suffered some $12 million in losses, the famed facilities have bounced back. They have subsequently managed to lure Mel Gibson‘s “The Resurrection of the Christ,” now in final stages of physical production; Antoine Fuqua’s untitled Netflix movie starring Denzel Washington as Carthaginian general Hannibal, which will start rolling this summer; and, also from Netflix, the live-action “Assassin’s Creed” series directed by Johan Renck (“Chernobyl”) that has been in prep on the lot since July 2025. Filming on “Assassin’s Creed” started at Cinecittà in March and is expected to run for seven months through mid October.
Italian productions shot at Cinecittà include Marco Bellocchio’s HBO Italian original series “Portobello.”
“I must say that our commercial activities have really taken off on an international level,” Cinecittà CEO Manuela Cacciamani told Variety ahead of the studio’s annual results presentation. “A lot of recruitment work was done for the sale of the studios [to attract shoots] and therefore the second half of the year went very well.”
In comparison to 2024, Cinecittà’s turnover grew by €8.9 million ($10 million) to €30.5 million ($35 million) and the studio’s EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) jumped to €14 million ($16 million) from €7 million ($8 million).
The iconic film facilities have been undergoing a revamp thanks to a €233 million ($268 million) loan provided by the European Union’s post-pandemic recovery fund, under a six-year plan initiated in 2021 that is proceeding on schedule.
“At the end of the process, which will be in June of this year, Cinecittà will have met all of the plan’s goals,” Cacciamani said. “In total, we will have 25 state-of-the-art sound stages, 10 hectares (2.5 acres) of backlot and 21,000 square meters (11,000 square feet) of space dedicated to production offices.
The Rome studio’s water tank — which had always existed at Cinecittà but was not operational in the last decade — has now also been fully restored. This means that, compared to years before the revamp, Cinecittà will soon have a 60% higher production capacity when operating at its full potential.
Italy’s 40% tax rebate for international film and TV shoots — which has no cap and allows producers to get cash back during production, month to month, and reduce costs as they go along — continues to be an important driver. “It’s one of the the three reasons for which international productions choose us,” Cacciamani noted. The other two being the top notch quality of Cinecittà-based artisans and crews and the state-of-the-art soundstages that include one the world’s largest LED walls.
Another crucial aspect of Cinecittà’s renewal is its state-of-the-art video and audio post-production facilities, including dubbing and mixing rooms and a 35mm and 16mm film development and restoration lab.
Cacciamani pointed out that its post-production services have recently been chosen even for films not shot at the studios — such as Tim Burton’s Netflix series “Wednesday” and Luca Guadagnino’s “After the Hunt” — as well as films that were, including Ridley Scott’s “The Dog Stars” and Giuseppe Tornatore doc “Brunello: The Gracious Visionary.”
English (US) ·