In the tumultuous scenario of Italy of 1860, a Sicilian nobleman finds himself having to choose between the legacy of his family and the swirling political change that is rewriting the fate of his land. “Il Gattopardo”, a new Italian-British production, rereads the masterpiece of Giuseppe Tomasi of Lampedusa in a miniseries directed by Tom Shankland, Laura Luchetti and Giuseppe Capotondi. Netflix makes the six episodes available from March 5, 2025, bringing a story imbued with power, passion and decadence on the screens. The project represents the second transposition of the novel, after the famous film by Luchino Visconti of 1963. But what new perspective will this awaited reinterpretation offer?
The Gattopardo: the complete cast
The Gattopardo: the plot
“Il Gattopardo” tells the story of Don Fabrizio Corbera, prince of Salina, and his family in Sicily between 1860 and 1910. The title refers to the feline depicted in the coat of arms of the house, a symbol of an aristocracy destined to lose his power with the unity of Italy and give way to a society dominated by the emerging bourgeoisie.
In May 1860, Garibaldi’s landing marked the beginning of the end for the ancient order, and in this context Don Fabrizio observes the rise of new social classes with melancholy lucidity, such as the bourgeoisie and bureaucracy, aware that the world in which he grew up is fading. The change leaves him disillusioned, but he accepts it with the detachment of those who know that the story follows their course. His nephew Tancredi, an ambitious and brilliant young man, decides to embrace the revolution by deploying himself with the Garibaldini, not by ideology, but to ensure a place in the new system and guarantee a future of prestige and power.
During the summer stay in Donnafugata, Don Fabrizio meets the mayor Don Calogero Sedàra – in the meantime enriched with loans and speculations -, rough but shrewd man, capable of imposing himself in the new political reality. His daughter Angelica – of extraordinary beauty and fascinating bearing – attracts the attention of Tancredi, who decides to marry her not only by attraction, but also to consolidate her social position and access the riches of the future father -in -law. The choice marks a serious blow for Concetta, the prince’s daughter, who had hoped in a future with his cousin and closes in a silent grudge that will accompany her throughout her life.
In the meantime, the new Piedmontese government offers Don Fabrizio a seat in the Senate, recognizing in him a prestigious figure capable of promoting the transition of power; But he refuses, considering the Sicilians too tied to the past to accept a real change and convinced that the new ruling class is not better than the previous one. Time passes, and the Prince assists with growing disillusionment to the transformation of society The flow of time makes him understand that the fate of his class is marked, while the old nobility adapts or succumbs. In the following years, the decline of the Salina family becomes increasingly evident.
The Leopard: where the series was shot, all locations
The trailer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hddimry-shq
