Diabolik – The new star was made official after the farewell of Luca Marinelli

As we anticipated in October, the filming of the second and third episodes of Diabolical they started in Bologna with a large absent: Luca Marinelli, interpreter of Diabolik. In its place under the mask of the King of Terror Giacomo Gianniotti. Now, through the pages of Esquire Italyfinally came the official news, therefore it will be the Italian-Canadian actor, known in the performance as Dr. Andrew DeLuca sa Gray’s Anatomy, to replace Luca Marinelli in the lead role in Diabolik’s sequels Manetti Bros.

In an interview with Esquire, Gianniotti mentioned the radical change of protagonist from the first to the second film: “Quite when there is a new James Bond. Movies are different and require different things. For example, the story from the first movie has less action, while my two have more, so many more stunts. But it’s not my merit, it has other stories. “

The Italian-Canadian actor then gave some advances in the plot of the films, pointing out how one of the two films will bring the story of the character’s origin to the stage: “One of the books in which the two films will be filmed is the story of the origin of Diabolik, you understand where he grew up, how his figure was born and everything that influenced him to make him king of terror.

The directors then discussed how Giacomo Gianniotti was chosen to mimic the new Diabolik. Many of the actors who auditioned to be the new Diabolik did not know that they auditioned for Diabolik. It needs to be replaced Luca Marinelli A year before the release of the first film (postponed due to the pandemic) and there was no need to leak the matter, the Manetti brothers had in fact started trying out actors with fake scenes and with a different character in the name but completely Diabolical in properties. Most of them were recorded auditions, videos recorded and sent by actors. Self -tapes. One way to start that search under the lockdown that then ended with Gianniotti, the only one actually tested live (speaking, it was via Zoom) by the two directors.

“We were in absolute panic,” he explained Marco Manetti, “Changing an actor within a trilogy is a huge anomaly, even though Diabolik, with a thousand faces, is the only character that suits him. The reason is the pandemic. A year of procrastination means we never had a chance to shoot the second and third films before the first came out. For us it was a great opportunity, if we didn’t take it we would be ten years of our career behind Diabolik which, with all due respect and affection, is many. However, Luca Marinelli has already signed a contract for another film and therefore cannot have. In pain, we chose to shoot them with other actors ”.

To many, the part was played by the Canadian who “seemed kind”, a bet by the brothers on his dedication and ability to be Diabolik as promised: “On set we found ourselves in front of an Anglo-Saxon actor” , he says Antonio Manetti, “Remembering something you told him a few months ago, process it and pull it out when needed. Someone who prepares hard to get to where you asked him and asks you many questions ».

The differences with Marinelli are many, «but all the actors are different. What do you think is the same approach of Valerio Mastandrea to Miriam Leone? Marco Manetti said, but we can see one clearly: “We realized on set that Giacomo has a physique, and he showed us some things he could do. Really. So we took advantage of this thing. His will be more physically Diabolical ».

The two sequels on Diabolical, because in the coming years, Manetti Bros. will still be seen. behind the camera. In addition to Gianniotti, who will replace Luca Marinelli, the cast has seen a return from the first film by Miriam Leone in the role of Eva Kant At Valerio Mastandrea of Ginkgo.