Italy’s I Wonder Pictures boards new works by Radu Jude, Gábor Reisz

Italy’s I Wonder Pictures — which is one of the country’s top distributors and has close ties to both A24 and Neon — is ramping up its production side with new projects by European heavyweight auteurs Radu Jude, Gábor Reisz and Teemu Nikki.

Last year, the company hired former Sky Italy entertainment channels chief Roberto Pisoni and launched its production arm, All at Once. Now, the Bologna-based company is moving full steam into the production space with the mantra of “bringing our audience engagement into production,” said company topper Andrea Romeo, adding that they intend to use an innovative approach to “how films are developed and carried through to their encounter with viewers.

 “While the projects we are developing are very different from one another, they share a high level of craftsmanship and a unique perspective on contemporary Europe,” noted Pisoni, who is also developing a a slate of Italian projects.

I Wonder in recent years has established itself as one of Italy’s leading independent distributors, scoring consistently solid, if not excellent, box office returns with titles including “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “The Whale,” “The Zone of Interest,” “The Substance,” “The Voice of Hind Rajab” and most recently “The Drama.” This experience now feeds directly into production, with a focus on integrating audience awareness and positioning from the earliest stages of a project’s development, Romeo specified.

International projects in the I Wonder/All at Once pipeline include Romanian filmmaker Radu Jude (“Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn”) with “Call a Large Hound Near” (working title), an exploration of sociopolitical tensions in Europe. The film is being lead-produced by Bucharest-based Saga Film with All at Once boarding as co-producer.

Another project is from Hungarian director Gábor Reisz, whose “Explanation for Everything” won the 2023 Orizzonti Award for Best Film at Venice and was released by I Wonder in Italy. His new feature, with the working title of “Ember Végez,” is co-written with regular collaborator Éva Schulze. The film is produced by All at Once in collaboration with Budapest-based Proton Cinema. Principal photography recently wrapped in Budapest on the film, which features a cameo appearance by Italy’s Marcello Fonte, who won the 2018 best actor prize in Cannes for his role in Matteo Garrone’s “Dogman.” Other details are under wraps.

All at Once continues its collaboration with Finnish director Teemu Nikki and producer Jani Pösö with “200 Liters of Gold,” the sequel to “100 Liters of Gold,” which was a hit in Finland. “Set in the rural town of Sysmä, the film follows sisters Pirkko and Taina as they navigate illness, family rivalries and local brewing competitions,” says the synopsis.