“The Cinecittà of the Future”: Major Productions, Infrastructure, and Human Capital

An unprecedented production capacity, the ambition to become a central hub for international productions, and a clear vision that combines cultural enterprise with the creative industry. This is the profile presented by Cinecittà’s new Industrial Plan 2025–2029, approved by the Board of Directors and presented by CEO Manuela Cacciamani.

The objectives are indeed ambitious: within five years, Cinecittà aims to grow sustainably, increasing its production capacity by 60% through new investments in facilities, technology, and human capital. Thanks to investments from the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), by June 2026, the project to build five new soundstages and the complete renovation of four new high-tech studios will be completed, expanding from the current 20 to a future 25, resulting in a 60% increase in production capacity. This expansion strengthens Cinecittà’s role as a central hub for Italian audiovisual production and one of Europe’s most comprehensive and advanced production districts.

“We’re not just building new studios: we’re redefining what it means to produce cinema in Europe. Cinecittà must become a machine operating at full capacity every day, with excellence as the minimum standard. We’re not interested in just participating; we want to lead the way,” Cacciamani stated.

The plan is structured around six key areas: optimization, quality, support, people, diversification, and sustainability. These six pillars represent strategic areas, each contributing to shaping a development model that integrates innovation, international appeal, and deep roots in Italy’s cultural and production fabric.

Economically and financially, the expected results confirm the scale of the transformation: commercial and institutional revenues are projected at €51.9 million (up from €26.7 million in 2024), positive EBITDA of €6.3 million (compared to a negative €3.3 million last year), an EBITDA margin of 7.5%, net profit of €4.3 million (compared to a loss of €11.6 million in 2024), and equity increasing to €25.2 million (from €4.3 million). Over the next five years, total revenues are expected to reach €207 million, with a cumulative EBITDA of €13.6 million, net profit of €7.9 million, and equity stabilizing at €25.2 million.

Nevertheless, the beating heart of the plan is focused on the professionals who daily shape and give substance to productions. “We can’t build the future of cinema if we don’t value those who, every day, bring it to life with ideas, hands, and skills. The human capital of those working at Cinecittà isn’t just a resource; it’s our identity,” added the CEO.

Investments are directed towards training, introducing new professional roles, internship programs, and talent scouting, also through the support of proper use of AI. Simultaneously, corporate welfare is strengthened, demonstrating a vision that places people at the center of a socially impactful industrial project.

On the technological infrastructure front, the Virtual Stage of Theatre 18 will be enhanced, and the audio-video post-production hub will be expanded. The Italian laboratory for film development and printing will also remain active.  The range of services offered by the Studios confirms the uniqueness of a creative factory that brings together the entire production chain “from the script to the finished film.” Service enhancements aim to consolidate quality as the operational standard, benefiting both Italian and international productions.

Environmental and social sustainability also plays a central role: through the ReGeneration project, Cinecittà aims for carbon neutrality and promotes green practices in productions, while integrating initiatives that value cinema as a therapeutic and inclusive tool.

Cinecittà’s historic support for the Italian audiovisual system is strengthened through the enhancement of the Luce Archive, digitized with over 70,000 films and 5 million photographs. Other initiatives include strengthening the Italian Museum of Audiovisual and Cinema (MIAC), producing documentaries and short films, participating in international festivals, and supporting the General Directorate for Cinema and Audiovisual (DGCA).

After a challenging 2024 marked by global difficulties, such as Hollywood strikes and fires, 2025 marks the significant return of productions. Cinecittà has already hosted White Mars and is ready to welcome The Resurrection of the Christ by Mel Gibson (who fell in love with the new large Theatre 22), The Dog Stars by Ridley Scott, Roma Elastica with Marion Cotillard, as well as a new project by comedians Ficarra and Picone, along with titles still confidential from Disney, Universal, and Fox Nation. Agreements with Fremantle and Endemol Shine are also still strong.

Major productions have also chosen Cinecittà for audio and video post-production, with the prominent examples of Better Man on Robbie Williams, Those About to Die by Roland Emmerich, and Queer by Luca Guadagnino. Overall, CEO Cacciamani hopes for increased domestic productions, even with package deals that include post-production services.

In the near future there will also be an implementation on short films, thanks to the usage of part of the funds previously allocated to documentaries for 15-minute shorts by under-30s that will then be shown on RaiPlay. Then, cinema as therapy, in partnership with the Medicinema foundation, spreading media among children forced to live in hospitals.

Active since 1937, the Cinecittà Studios now offer one of the most complete operational and creative ecosystems in the world, looking at accomplishing the same mission: to welcome and support audiovisual productions of quality, with an ever-growing focus on innovation.

“I arrived on a very hot July day,” recalls Cacciamani, “but I immediately realized it was one of the darkest moments for the company. It wasn’t easy to start; there were no confirmed commercial agreements, and none on the horizon. The concern was palpable among the approximately 344 people working at Cinecittà. Around us, thanks to the PNRR, majestic studios were growing, but they were all empty. And unfortunately, the accounts were also deeply in the red. There was no time for sentimentality or hesitation: the only question I asked myself was: ‘Why is Cinecittà not involved in the projects it could afford?’ I tried to understand this. Perhaps from that reflection, the six pillars of the industrial plan were born: optimization, quality, support, people, diversification, and environmental and social sustainability. Competition is aggressive and extremely fast. In fact, I’m ready to bet that while we’re here talking, someone else is signing a project that we might have been involved with instead.

“Despite the value of Cinecittà relies on the human capital of its professionals, we can’t ignore that many talents in recent years have left Italy to shoot elsewhere. Rome is Rome, of course, but let’s not forget that the whole country has a lot to offer. There’s also another often underestimated aspect: the professionalism of Italian executive producers. Major budgets are entrusted to Italian companies that must guarantee transparency, legality, and reliability. That is another fundamental pillar on which Cinecittà can and must rely, and it’s thanks to it that we’ve managed to bring back projects that would otherwise have gone to countries like Malta, Hungary, Spain, or even overseas.

Almost a year has passed and today I can say with certainty that the atmosphere has changed: the studios are no longer empty. And perhaps those 344 people are no longer as worried as they once were. The figures in the press release speak for themselves. Yes, they are ambitious, but they are absolutely sustainable. What I didn’t have to work on – and I believe this is good news – is the confirmation of the brand’s iconic status. Because wherever you go, when you say “Cinecittà,” even if they pronounce it wrong, nothing more needs to be added. Cinecittà is Cinecittà. And on this, let’s be clear, we are a fixed point: others still have to work on it, we are already there. The goal today is to confirm healthy, concrete, and lasting growth. Finally let’s not forget that Cinecittà’s shareholders, MEF and MiC, have strongly supported our journey.”