Disney Made A Mafia Series And It’s Already Winning Awards, See The Trailer
Disney's Italian mafia series, The Good Mother, won an award at the Berlinale festival, the first of its kind for a television series.
Disney is best known for animation, Marvel, and Star Wars, but the company has a prestigious mafia project on the way that could alter the landscape of its streaming platform. As reported by Deadline, the Italian drama series The Good Mothers, set to debut publicly on Disney+ in April, claimed the first-ever Berlinale Series Award at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival.
The Good Mothers is a departure from the norm for Disney, delving into a real-life story of the Italian mafia. The crime drama tells the true story of Alessandra Cerreti, a prosecutor who unites women within the Calabrian ‘Ndrangheta Italian crime family to testify against their abusive mafioso family members.
The harrowing series was written by Stephen Butchard and directed by Julian Jarrold and Elisa Amoruso. It stars Gaia Girace, Valentina Bellè, Barbara Chichiarelli, Simona Distefano and Micaela Ramazzotti.
The Berlinale Series Award, founded in collaboration with Deadline, is the first television award to be awarded at an industry-leading film festival. The Disney mafia series won against global competition; the Italian drama beat HBO Max’s Spy/Master, China’s Why Try to Change Me Now, Australia’s Bad Behaviour, India’s Dahaad (Roar), and Denmark’s Agent.
The Berlinale Series Award Jury sang the praises of The Good Mothers. In a statement, the jury praised the Disney show’s careful treatment of mafia wives and the fascinating dimensions of its troubled characters. They also lauded the show’s technical achievements, from the honest performances to the gritty cinematography and production design that grounded the true story in a realistic style.
Now with a prestigious laurel to its name, The Good Mothers will stream on Disney+ starting April 5, 2023. Disney has a crowded spring ahead, and the new mafia series will be joined by The Mandalorian Season 3, Marvel’s Secret Invasion, and American Born Chinese.
Disney distributing an award-winning mafia drama is not the only thing generating buzz at Berlinale this year. The festival awarded Steven Spielberg a lifetime achievement award on the heels of his latest film, The Fabelmans. The festival has also showcased celebrity fashion for stars like Sydney Sweeney and Anne Hathaway, who walked the red carpet in a transparent gown.
Hathaway attended the festival to support her latest film, She Came to Me, in which she plays the wife of a creatively stumped composer who unlocks inspiration after a one-night stand. Peter Dinklage and Marisa Tomei join Hathaway in the love triangle dramedy.
In addition to the Disney mafia series, one of the festival’s highlights has been the special screening of Sean Penn and Aaron Kaufman’s documentary Superpower. The film gives a close-up look at the war between Russia and Ukraine. The festival will finish its 10-day festivities on February 26.
Disney releasing a gritty true crime story about the Italian mafia was probably not what most people expected to see in 2023, but that’s exactly what the House of Mouse is doing. The series will surprisingly diversify Disney+ and may open a new door to success for a company fighting franchise fatigue.
