US audiences have become a little more willing to embrace foreign language movies in recent years, with movies like Parasite, RRR and Anatomy of a Fall becoming solid hits. The next possible such movie is Parthenope, which comes from acclaimed Italian filmmaker Paolo Sorrentino and stars Gary Oldman alongside a cast of Italian actors, including a newcomer in the titular lead role.
Parthenope is going to feature plenty of Italian dialogue for sure, but with Oldman, the movie is going to be partly in English as well, which could help lower the barrier of entry for some. But if anyone knows how to turn this kind of movie into a hit it’s A24, who is distributing Parthenope. They did so with another movie that balanced English and a foreign language, Past Lives.
