‘Gomorrah’ Prequel Series Envisaged As Spanning Three Seasons

EXCLUSIVE : The anticipated prequel series to Italian mega-hit Gomorrah is currently being envisaged as spanning three seasons, we understand from sources close to the project.

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The second and third seasons have yet to be formally greenlit by Sky but the creative ambition from those working on the project is for three seasons. The first is due to begin production early next year.

The currently untitled prequel series, set in 1970’s Naples, will chart the origin story and rise to power of crime boss Pietro Savastano and his wife, Imma Savastano, whose family are the subject of the original Sky Italia and Cattleya hit. We understand a number of the characters from the first season of the show are likely to appear as their younger selves and the idea is for the third season to take the story up to events of the original.

Many of the show’s key creators are back, including novelist Roberto Saviano whose book the story is based on, screenwriters Leonardo Fasoli and Maddalena Ravagli, and director Marco D’Amore, who played Ciro Di Marzio in the original series and went on to direct multiple episodes.

The expectation is for a slightly less dark first series than the original with contraband and cigarette-dealing initially more prominent than the hard-drugs and murder of the original. The story will start out with the characters as teenagers and there will be more attention to the romance between the Savastanos and their loss of innocence.

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The leads will necessarily be newcomers given the characters’ young ages. Casting is in process.

An international sales partner has yet to be confirmed but we hear it is likely to once again be Beta, which handled the original.

Inspired by Saviano’s bestseller, Neapolitan crime-drama Gomorrah became Italy’s greatest TV export and ran five seasons between 2014-21. The show traveled to 190 countries, including on HBO Max in the U.S.

Sky is also in development on origin series Romanzo Criminale – La Serie which will focus on the years before the rise of the Banda della Magliana crime group, which were explored in the two seasons of the original show which ran 2008-10.

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