Grab your focaccia bread and caffè con panna because Netflix has just released a trailer for a new romcom set in Italy, La Dolce Villa. Premiering February 13 (just in time for Valentine’s Day), Scott Foley (Felicity) stars as ex-chef Eric visiting his daughter Olivia (Maia Reficco) in Italy after she’s bought an (albeit crumbling) villa for the low-low price of one Euro (as a millennial, this author honestly sees the appeal) to renovate and live in. Along the way, he meets the mayor of the town, Francesca Pucci (Violante Placido), where the villa resides, and you guessed it: sparks fly. According to Netflix, the film was indeed shot in Italy. Scenes were filed in Rome, eastern Lazio, and Tuscany. They say the interiors of the villa were built at Cinecittá Studios in Rome.
The logline form Netflix is as follows:
“Successful businessman Eric travels to Italy to stop his daydreaming daughter Olivia from restoring a crumbling villa. Italy, however, has different plans for him as it delivers on its legendary promise of beauty, magic, and romance.”
Later in Life Romances Are Just as Important
Netflix says “it’s never too late to renovate your life.” Netflix already has a few ‘later in life’ romances under their belts. Ironically enough, two of them star Brooke Shields: Mother of the Bride and A Castle for Christmas. That being said, Netflix emphasizes that balance between the Eric’s romance and the father-daughter familial dynamic between Eric and Olivia. Director Mark Waters says of Foley and Reficco’s dynamics, “they understood that love between family members can take many shapes and forms, so even when they are butting heads at the beginning of the picture, you can still sense that deep bond between them.”
As for the romance between Eric and Francesca, Foley tells Tudum, “His initial determination — to save his daughter from making what he believes would be a huge mistake in purchasing property in Italy — turns out to be a sort of second chance at happiness for Eric, in so many ways!” In addition to Waters, the minds behind La Dolce Villa include writers Elizabeth Hackett and Hilary Galanoy (A Perfect Pairing, Falling Inn Love) and producers Robyn Snyder and Deb Evans (Choose Love, A Perfect Pairing).
La Dolce Villa premieres on Netflix February 13, just in time for Valentine’s Day. Stay with Collider for the latest updates.
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