When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.
What we know About The Leopard: A 19th Century Sensuous tale of Treachery and love
Published
Italy, second half of the 19th century- an era of change with the unification underway and Giuseppe Garibaldi’s Redshirt army almost on the cusp of taking Sicily. Within it is the Sicilian aristocratic Salina family who are trying to navigate through the changing times.
But that’s easier said than done when political gains often mean losing something or someone close to one’s heart. Full of sensual intrigue, old-school charm, and aristocratic nostalgia, The Leopard aims to make a splash for Netflix as The Crown or Downtown Abbey did.
Gorgeous costumes, stunning locales, beautiful characters, and high-stakes breathtaking political and family drama, this series is set to have it all. But when will it be released? In this article we will reveal the date as well as other details regarding this highly anticipated series. Also, we will keep updating this page with new information when it gets released, so keep checking back!
When and Where to Watch
All six episodes of The Leopard will premiere on Netflix on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
What is The Leopard About?
The Leopard is set against the backdrop of the revolution in 1860s Sicily. The Prince of Salina, Don Fabrizio Corbera, leads a life of privilege and beauty. But as the old aristocratic way of life is threatened, he realizes that it’s time to come out of the cocoon of wealth and luxury to form alliances, even at the cost of one’s morals.
But Fabrizio eventually lands at a crossroads- allow a marriage between the rich Angelica and his nephew Tancredi to secure his family’s legacy or break this marriage to save his daughter, Concetta’s, heart. The lavish series explores the themes of power, love, and the price of progress amid the death and decay of aristocracy.
Is The Leopard Based on a book?
The Netflix show is based on Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s posthumously published 1958 novel called Il Gattopardo, or The Leopard in English. This is the highest-selling novel in Italian history. It has been made into a film by Luchino Visconti starring Claudia Cardinale and Alain Delon.
It won the 1963 Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival as well. The book is about politics, allegiances, and alliances, but it’s also about a family trying to survive amidst nationwide revolts.
Tom Shankland, who directed several episodes of the show agreed and said in an interview with Tudum, “I always got that feeling that I wasn’t being sold a message in the book, but I was definitely being given a really kind of profound and touching experience of family life and the way it has to navigate huge, turbulent historical changes.”
Who is in the cast of The Leopard?
- Kim Rossi Stuart (Senza pelle) as Don Fabrizio Corbera (Prince of Salina)
- Benedetta Porcaroli (Immaculate) as Concetta (In love with Tancredi)
- Deva Cassel (The Beautiful Summer) as Angelica Sedara (a stunning middle-class woman who is a social class disruptor)
In a press conference (via Variety), Cassel said about her character, “Angelica is a multi-layered character. She comes from a humble background and has an opportunity to enter the echelon of nobility. But she is torn. She doesn’t feel comfortable in this [aristocratic] world. She does everything she can to cling on to Tancredi. But the more things progress, the more she realizes that she has her own hidden identity.”
- Saul Nanni (Brado) as Tancredi Falconeri (The prince’s nephew)
- Paolo Calabresi (Boris)
- Francesco Colella (The Good Mothers)
- Astrid Meloni (The Swarm)
- Francesco Di Leva (The Children’s Train)
The Leopard Trailer
The trailer reveals the political puppetry that goes on in aristocratic society underneath the veil of decency. Check out the trailer below:
Also, check out this first look of the show below:
Filming and Production Details
The Leopard was shot in Rome, Palermo, Syracuse and Catania. Eleanora Andreatta, VP of Italian Originals for Netflix, said (via Red Online), “We chose to shoot on location, which has allowed us to capture the variety of this marvellous environment, rich in beauty and with a history of stratified civilization… We immersed ourselves in the opulence of the 19th century, among amazing Baroque palaces and the lively colours of a land parched by the sun.”
Behind the Scenes
The Leopard is directed by Tom Shankland, Giuseppe Capotondi, and Laura Luchetti. The script is by Benji Walters and Richard Warlow. Alessandro Mascheroni, Will Gould, Marco Cohen, and more are the producers. Paolo Buonvino has given the music while Nicolai Brüel is the cinematographer. Indiana Production and Moonage Pictures are the production houses behind it.
Shankland talked about what he hoped people would take away from the series. He said in an interview with Tudum, “I hope that people watch it and feel that it will give them a way of reflecting back on what is going on with all of us in the last few years, where we’ve had pandemics and crazy politics and all the rest of it.”
He further said, “How do we survive as families — as humans — in that and what’s the most important thing? What can survive that? What changes, what doesn’t?”
Related
Most Popular
Most Popular