The Monster of Florence: Antonio Banderas to star in serial killer series

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Even though there have been arrests and convictions, there is still a lot of mystery surrounding the case of The Monster of Florence, a serial killer that claimed fourteen victims between the years of 1974 and 1985, and may have first struck in 1968. The killer would use a gun and a knife to kill pairs that they found camping or in parked cars, and would sometimes mutilate their female victims to take body parts from the scene. There are theories that connect the murders to a Satanic cult, and even the Zodiac Killer. Now Studiocanal is set to dig into the case with a series titled The Monster of Florence, with Antonio Banderas attached to star. 

Based on the 2008 book The Monster of Florence: A True Story by Douglas Preston and Mario Spezi (pick up a copy HERE), the series will consist of six 60 minute episodes. Nikolaj Arcel will direct the series and has written the scripts with Anders Thomas Jensen.

To be shot on location in Florence, Sardinia, and Tuscany, the series will track 

the true story of an American fiction writer, Douglas Preston, and Italian crime reporter Mario Spezi as they investigate into a notorious serial murder case in Europe. Broadcaster/streamer details have not been revealed.

Banderas will be playing Mario Spezi. 

Arcel had this to say about the project: 

What happens if an entire country starts believing a destructive lie, fed to them by corrupt men in power? That’s the big idea at the heart of The Monster Of Florence, and I can’t imagine a better time to tell it. Combine that with an epic story that literally has everything; a riveting murder mystery, Satanic cults, gangsters, corrupt cops and a vast conspiracy, it’s any filmmakers dream come true."

Preston added: 

The book, and the series based on it, tell the true story of our search for – and identification of – the killer and our frightening interview with him. In a bizarre turn, Mario and I were sucked into a harrowing prosecutorial vendetta, our phones tapped, followed and menaced by the police, accused of participating in Satanic rites, which culminated in Mario arrested and charged with being the Monster of Florence himself."

This does have the potential to be quite fascinating, so I look forward to seeing how The Monster of Florence will turn out.