A television series about the making of the controversial movie 'Last Tango in Paris' is expected to give the late Maria Schneider a voice against Marlon Brando and Bernardo Bertolucci.
- Dec 1, 2021
AceShowbiz - The making of Bernardo Bertolucci's controversial 1972 erotic drama "Last Tango in Paris", starring Marlon Brando, is being turned into a TV series.
The series begins with Bertolucci travelling to Los Angeles in 1971 to convince Brando, who was at a low point in his career, to lead the cast of the film in which a man and a woman - played by French actress Maria Schneider - begin a torrid affair without knowing each other's names.
The film drama made headlines for a graphic sex scene involving butter, and Schneider later alleged she had been duped and exploited over the moment, and ridiculed for her part in the film, which led her down a path of addiction and mental health struggles. Her claims were made ahead of the #metoo movement and, although the suggestions of an onscreen rape created some headlines at the time, Schneider died, aged only 58, in 2011, before her allegations became more widely known.
Brando and Bertolucci, however, both profited from "Last Tango in Paris" and went on to receive critical acclaim, as well as Oscar nominations for Best Actor and Best Director, respectively. Schneider, meanwhile, was paid only $4,000 (£3,000) for her role.
The new show comes from "Entourage" and "Boston Public" writers Jeremy Miller and Daniel Cohn with "Killing Eve" 's Lisa Bruhlmann and "Narcos" ' Jose Padilha set to share directing duties.
"When Jose and Stampede (Ventures) approached me, I was instantly taken by the project and the chance to look closer at one of the biggest scandals of our industry's history - despite it not being treated as such at the time. The opportunity to dive into that world, into all these fascinating characters, and especially the possibility of giving Maria Schneider a voice, is really exciting," Bruhlmann told Deadline.
"Tango tells the story of two men abusing a young and unexperienced woman, not for sex, but for the sake of art. They did it on camera, and the resulting scene made it into a major feature film, acclaimed by critics and audiences alike."
"The director and the actors basked in success, while Maria's pain was neglected. I'm thrilled to explore a story about the ethics of art, an important but often neglected subject matter, in partnership with director Lisa Bruhlmann," added Padilha.
Casting details have not yet been announced but all three of the story's main players have now died - Brando in 2004 and Bertolucci in 2018.
