“Last Tango In Paris,” the 1973 erotic drama directed by Bernardo Bertolucci, led to two Oscar nominations for Best Director and Best Actor for Marlon Brando and became one of the most profitable foreign films to ever be released. It is also an NC-17 release, features a brutal rape scene, and has largely been known as one of the most controversial films ever made, on and off the screen, thanks to the terrible conditions under which it was made.
Deadline reports that a new series about the making of the film is in the works at CBS Studios and Stampede Ventures. “Tango’ was steeped in controversy that only grew in legend over the years. Lead actress Maria Schneider revealed in 2006 that Bertolucci and Brando sprung the simulated rape scene on her without it being in the script, with the director claiming he was trying to capture her “emotions” but this was clearly a terrible decision and attempt to exploit the young actress and capturing it on film. Brando was 48 at the time and Schneider was 19 adding an extra level of creepiness to the entire affair.
The series penned by Jeremy Miller and Daniel Cohn is said to be told from all three perspectives with Lisa Brühlmann (“Killing Eve“) and José Padilha (“Narcos”) set to co-direct, which means they’ll be tackling the notorious rape scene and Schneider’s recollection of those events surrounding the production of the film.
Here’s how Deadline described the project:
“The project, set in Italy, France, and the U.S., will span the 18 months before, during, and after the production of the film and will explore questions of identity, fame, and artistic ambition. Told through the lens of those at the center of the events – Schneider, Brando, and Bertolucci – the series will begin with Bertolucci traveling to Los Angeles in 1971 to convince a broken-down and bankrupt Brando to take a role in his upcoming film – a graphic account of sexual obsession, emotional breakdown and murder.”
It’s unclear who’ll they’ll be hiring for the trio of roles, but could attract some high-profile talent.
This comes as CBS’ sister production company Paramount Television Studios is behind, “The Offer,” another making-of series focus on Brando’s iconic film “The Godfather” and the turbulent experience Francis Ford Coppola had trying to get the Best Picture winner financed and completed. Potentially this could be a trend we could keep seeing: making-of series based on classic 1960s and 1970s dramas as a way to keep those brands and that IP going. It’s a trend we recently wrote about, coining the phrase “Prestige IP,” to discuss where this idea could go.
The making of the “Last Tango In Paris” series will go to market in early 2022 and we’ll likely know where it will land around then.