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PRODUCTION / FUNDING Italy

The first Italian in-house Sky Studios production Blocco 181 is hitting screens soon

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- 20 May will see rapper Salmo making his debut in Sky’s new romantic-crime series, which is produced by TapelessFilm and Red Joint Film, and set on the outskirts of Milan

The first Italian in-house Sky Studios production Blocco 181 is hitting screens soon
Rapper Salmo on the set of Blocco 181 (© Gabriele Micalizzi/Mig)

Love and criminality set to the rhythms of rap and reggaeton: 20th May will see the new Sky Original series Blocco 181 - a dark and hyper-realistic fairy-tale directed by Giuseppe Capotondi (Suburra – Blood on Rome, The Burnt Orange Heresy [+see also:
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interview: Giuseppe Capotondi
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]
, The Double Hour [+see also:
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interview: Giuseppe Capotondi
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]
) and starring Ciro Visco (Gomorrah) and Matteo Bonifazio - making its debut on Sky, across all European regions where the channel enjoys a presence. The official trailer for and key art of this first ever Italian in-house Sky Studios production - which tells a tale of sentimental, familial, sexual and criminal emancipation - were released yesterday. The series will consist of 8 episodes, produced by Sky Studios together with TapelessFilm and Red Joint Film, and set in the multi-ethnic communities of present-day Milan.

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Blocco 181 heralds the acting debut of Italian rap pioneer Salmo, who is also supervising and producing the series both musically and creatively. The cast will be led by three young actors - Laura Osma (of the series El Chapo), Alessandro Piavani (of the series La mafia uccide solo d'estate and The Little Drummer Girl [+see also:
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interview: Venia Vergou
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]
) and Andrea Dodero (Thou Shalt Not Hate [+see also:
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interview: Mauro Mancini
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]
) – who negotiate a dangerous love triangle on the outskirts of Milan, in the shadow of an imposing building complex known as Block 181. Bea is a Latin-American girl torn between loyalty to her family, the Misas, and a desire to change her life; Ludo and Mahdi are friends from different social backgrounds who are like brothers to one another. All three characters defy the rules of the game in order to break free from their respect gangs. Salmo plays Snake, the right-hand man of Lorenzo, who’s a drug dealer played by Alessandro Tedeschi (The Land of Sons [+see also:
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trailer
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]
), while the latter is a childhood friend and ally of Rizzo, the local boss played by Alessio Praticò (The Traitor [+see also:
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Q&A: Marco Bellocchio
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]
).

The series was devised by Paolo Vari, Francesca De Lisi, Dario Bonamin, Mirko Cetrangolo and Marco Borromei, while the screenplay comes courtesy of Francesca De Lisi, Dario Bonamin and Andrea Nobile, together with Giuseppe Capotondi, Matteo Bonifazio, Paolo Vari and Stefano Voltaggio.

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(Translated from Italian)

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