Chris Pineis going from the Final Frontier to the Beautiful Country. TheStar Trekstar has taken on his first Italian-language role inThe Kidnapping of Arabella.Variety reportsthat the dramedy will be the sophomore directorial feature fromCarolina Cavalli.
The Kidnapping of Arabellawill starBenedetta Porcaroli, who recently graced the screen in theSydney Sweeneynunsploitation screamerImmaculate, as a misfit who believes that she’s the “wrong version of herself”. She’s dispelled of that notion, however, when she meets a special seven-year-old girl. Pine’s role is being kept under wraps for now, but it will be in Italian; the actor speaks Spanish, as well. Director Cavalli made her directorial debut with the coming-of-age dramaAmanda, which also starred Porcaroli; it screened at the Venice and Toronto film festivals, and holds a 95% “Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. She also co-wrote the Afghan immigrant dramaFremont, which Collider’sMarco Vito Oddocalled a “charming movie with many layers of its own.“The Kidnapping of Arabellais set to begin filming this week in northern Italy.
Who Is Chris Pine?
Pine’s parents,Robert PineandGwynne Gilford, are both actors, and his grandmother,Anne Gwynne, was an early “scream queen” in Universal’s 1940s horror movies. Chris made his screen debut in a 2003 episode of ER, and went on to star inThe Princess Diaries 2,Smokin' Aces, andJust My Luck. He hit the big time playing Captain James T. Kirk inJ.J. Abrams' big-screen reboot ofStar Trek, and reprised the role in its two sequels; making afourth filmhas been harder to navigate than the Romulan Neutral Zone, but Paramount still intends to get it done. He has subsequently starred inJack Ryan: Shadow Recruit,Unstoppable,Into the Woods,Hell or High Water, and twoWonder Womanmovies as the titular heroine’s WWI love interest Steve Trevor. He had a busy 2023, starring inDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves(for which Pinehopes to make a sequel), voicing the villain in Disney’s centennial-anniversary filmWish, and directing his first feature,Poolman, which he also starred in.
Although not nearly as common as it once was, a number of notable mid-century actors made their fortunes by traveling to Italy and starring in low-budget films.Clint EastwoodandCharles Bronsonwent to Italy as TV actors, and after starring in the “spaghetti Westerns” that took chances no American Western would dare to, returned Stateside as bonafide movie stars.Henry Fondaalso took a chance to shed his nice-guy image by playing a loathsome villain inSergio Leone’sOnce Upon a Time in the West.Quentin Tarantinocommented on the phenomenon inOnce Upon a Time in Hollywood, as washed-up TV actor Rick Dalton (Leonardo DiCaprio) takes a sojourn in Italy towards the end of that film.
The Kidnapping of Arabellais set to begin filming this week in northern Italy;no release date has yet been announced. Stay tuned to Collider for future updates.
