We Interviewed Lamborghini's Movie Producer: True Stories Are the Best Stories

We all know that Rome wasn't built in a day. Building an empire will bring out the blood, sweat, and tears in a person. And any Lamborghini enthusiast can tell you one or two stories about his favorite supercar manufacturer. When Enzo Ferrari was still alive, Ferruccio Lamborghini decided to venture into the world of building cars too. Switching from tractors to sportscars isn't something you'd typically expect from a company, but we can all see how the story turned out just by accessing Lamborghini's official website.

The Revuelto will offer select customers access to over 1,000 hp and some 783 lb-ft (1,062 Nm) of torque. Fifty years ago, the Miura's V12 engine was good for just under 400 hp. Of course, there's more to it than just simple numbers. While a photo is worth 1,000 words, a movie can be even more revealing. Released in 2022, Lamborghini received mixed reviews across the board, but you should probably see it with your own eyes before listening to what other people have to say about it. Speaking of its producer, Andrea Iervolino has worked in the movie industry for over 20 years.

And I was curious to learn more about his thought process and plans for the future. "I produced my first movie when I was 15 years old. My passion for cinematography started in a rather unusual way. I left home and departed for the northern part of Italy for a summer job. I was supposed to talk to people but had to deal with a bothersome stutter. So my boss put me on the backstage of the production of a live show. For the first time, I saw a script, a story, a make-up artist, a director, an actor. I learned all about the industry."

It struck him then and there that this was the path he wanted to go down. Soon after, he returned to his hometown and started knocking on doors to finance his upcoming movie. "The unique thing was that at that time, shooting a film in digital was still unheard of. I was the pioneer of doing that in my country. And that allowed me to become relevant quickly because I was the first person specializing in producing a movie with a digital camera. Of course, many established directors or producers at the time weren't keen on using this new technology."

Before discussing with Andrea, I looked at some of his current projects to get to know him better beforehand. With Lamborghini already available on several platforms, and another biopic in the works, I wanted to see if he's also an automotive enthusiast like me. "I have a passion for good stories. True stories are very inspirational to me. At first, there was the Lamborghini one, and now you can expect the Ferrari movie with Adam Driver and Penelope Cruz. Both company owners faced a considerable challenge, inventing something new. They built cars, but they could have made anything else. Of course, I also love sportscars myself!"

Shooting a feature film is never easy, regardless of the existing budget and target. Just think of it, have you ever had to manage a team consisting of hundreds of people? So I wanted to learn the most exciting and challenging parts of recreating Ferruccio's story. "It was a challenging project indeed. We changed the cast and schedule and had to adapt to the global pandemic. But in the end, it reached the Top 10 films on multiple streaming services worldwide."

"I also got to meet the family and wanted to create a movie they could be proud of. During a press conference, Ferruccio's son, Tonino, pointed out that the script is 95% faithful to the original story and that he had shed multiple tears watching it during the premiere. When you shoot a movie about real people, you must care about everyone involved. I am happy with how it all turned out."

As for the Ferrari movie, we can expect to see it sometime this year. Adam Driver will be portraying Enzo Ferrari, and stars like Penelope Cruz and Patrick Dempsey will join him on screen too. I guessed that Andrea and the team of people around him took things to the next level with this one, and he noted that "The budget was four times bigger for the Ferrari movie. I learned that being as faithful to the original story as possible is essential. It's not just for people who love cars; we will also look into the love stories surrounding the man who created the iconic company. It's a movie for a broader audience, not just for car enthusiasts."

Few other countries rival Italy's car culture in this world. So many visionary people have risen from this part of Europe that it would take dozens of movies to portray their lives. And Andrea Iervolino is going down that path, one story at a time. While we have yet to see the new Ferrari film, we have already learned about another upcoming venture. Bobby Moresco will be directing "Maserati: A Racing Life," a biopic feature of the Maserati brothers.

"If everything goes according to schedule, we will start shooting in September 2023. And the first screening should happen in October of 2024. It is yet another beautiful story because it's about the Maserati brothers. And it will mostly be centered around Alfieri Secondo Maserati. There will be romance in it, but plenty of action shots. Some brand fans might anticipate the finale, but it will be inspirational either way. It will all be shot around Bologna, but I can't tell you anything about the cast yet."

We had only been speaking for about half an hour up until now, but it was clear that Andrea never stopped fighting for his dreams. It's easy to be inspired by his attitude towards film-making, and I was about to learn even more about him as I came up with my last question. "The movie industry is such an open possibility for anyone. You have to work hard and understand that nobody owns the absolute truth in this industry. I learned this at 18, when I had a big box office hit, despite all the skepticism the project faced before launch.

"Then I shot a movie everyone believed would be successful, including myself, and it didn't go as planned. Some doors will close, others will open. But if they don't open, you need to make things happen. Today you can shoot a movie using just an iPhone. You can deliver a movie if you have a good idea and are talented. And then you have to show it at an independent movie festival or send it to a producer: "See what I've achieved with just $2,000.

"Imagine if you give me a budget of $1 million or $10 million!" I started without any money, and I had a huge stutter. Ultimately, I made it happen because I wanted to do that. I shot my first movie with two friends, Benedetto and Rinaldo; one was overweight, while the other had speech issues too. But that didn't stop us."

"You need to believe in yourself and follow your dreams!" Now, one can only hope we'll see more stories like this coming to life over the next few years. Just imagine seeing a movie about Horacio Pagani, Giacomo Agostini, or any other iconic figure in the automotive industry of Italy or any other country in the world. We'll come back to you with more updates on the Maserati movie as soon as we have them.