...
By Dipo Faloyin
Share
Newsweek is a Trust Project member
See more of our trusted coverage when you search.Prefer Newsweek on Googleto see more of our trusted coverage when you search.
The wildly successful German satire Look Who's Back, which imagines what would happen if Adolf Hitler returned to modern-day Germany, is set to get an Italian makeover exploring the fun that would ensue if Benito Mussolini suddenly re-emerged.
According to Variety, Look Who's Back , an adaptation of a novel by Timur Vermes, became the second highest-grossing homemade film in Germany after taking more than $21 million at the local box office. Vermes's book, which The Guardian described as "oddly cozy," sold over 2 million copies in Germany.
After waking up from a coma, Hitler finds himself philosophically lost amid a contemporary and multicultural Berlin. Before he can make his return to politics, he must first bide his time as a standup comedian—and Hitler impersonator. The movie adopts the Sacha Baron Cohen model of filming its central character in both real-life and staged scenarios.
Read More on Entertainment
Italian production company Indiana Productions has jumped on the success of the original by optioning the rights for a remake that will awaken Mussolini in present-day Italy.
"We're very happy to work on such an extraordinary concept," Marco Cohen, co-founder and partner of Indiana Production, told Variety. "We've already started writing the adaptation of the script."
Netflix is expected to distribute the original movie, giving non-German speaking film fans the opportunity to catch up on all the hilarity before the Italian version is released.
Submit Correction
View Editorial & AI Guidelines