Today, during the 20th edition of the Rome Film Festival – in the Freestyle section – Sandokan was officially presented: the new international event series produced by Lux Vide, part of the Fremantle Group, in collaboration with Rai Fiction.
Based on a idea by Luca Bernabei, Sandokan is a brand-new television adaptation of the classic novels by Emilio Salgari, developed for TV by Alessandro Sermoneta, Scott Rosenbaum, and Davide Lantieri, and directed by Jan Maria Michelini and Nicola Abbatangelo.
The series will premiere on Rai1 starting Monday, December 1, 2025, across four evenings, and will also be available soon on Disney+. Fremantle will handle worldwide distribution, while Mediterráneo Mediaset España Group will manage distribution in Spain.
Filming took place between Lux Vide’s Studio 7 at Formello, Réunion Island, Lazio, Tuscany, and Calabria, where—with the support of the Calabria Film Commission—the impressive English colony of Labuan was reconstructed in Lamezia Terme.
The cast features Can Yaman, Alanah Bloor, Alessandro Preziosi, Ed Westwick, Madeleine Price, and John Hannah.
To celebrate the premiere, an immersive exhibition was inaugurated at MAXXI – National Museum of 21st Century Arts, inviting visitors into the heart of the Sandokan universe. On display: a life-size reconstruction of Sandokan’s Praho, original costumes, props, and an exclusive behind-the-scenes video.
The exhibition is open to the public from October 18 to 26, with free admission.
