ROME, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- The latest film from Italian comedian Checco Zalone is on pace to be his most successful -- and most controversial -- yet.
The 42-year-old Zalone is not a household name outside Italy's borders, but in Italy, he has been extraordinarily popular. In a country that has produced more Oscar-winning films than any other country besides the United States, the top three grossing Italian-made films ever made all feature Zalone in the leading role.
Cinema critics praise the work of directors Federico Fellini, Luchino Visconti, and Roberto Rossellini and actors Marcello Mastroianni and Anna Magnani but when it comes to the box office, the unassuming Zalone has them beat.
Now, Zalone may have outdone himself with "Tolo Tolo," a satirical comedy that takes on the polarizing issue of immigration. Zalone plays the role of a waiter who seeks work at a resort in Africa. The country where he lives erupts into civil war and terrorists take over. The character Zalone plays is mistaken for a would-be asylum seeker headed for Europe.
On opening night earlier this month "Tolo Tolo" earned 8.4 million euros (9.2 million U.S. dollars), more than any of Zalone's earlier films. According to the financial publication Milano Finanza, the film could ultimately gross as much as 80 million euros (88 million U.S. dollars), enough to easily surpass Zalone's 2016 comedy hit "Quo Vado" as the top Italian-made film ever based on domestic box office receipts. It could even challenge the 2009 U.S.-made science fiction epic film "Avatar" as the most popular film ever in Italy.
"Zalone is a phenomenon," Gianni Canova, a film history professor and the author of a book about Zalone, told Xinhua. "There's something about him that makes him so popular with the Italian public."
The issue of migration is a delicate one in Italy. The League, which opinion polls say is the most popular political party in the country, rose to that dominant position on the back of strict anti-migrant policies. But the party is now in opposition as a coalition in power since September 2019 has championed a more flexible stance on the issue.
By taking on the issue, Zalone has attracted a different kind of attention than he did with his previous films. There has been no formal response to the film from the Italian government, but former Prime Minister Enrico Letta called it "handsome and brave." The film earned mixed reviews from right-wing political leaders, though the most prominent among them, Matteo Salvini, head of the League, told journalists he thought Zalone should be appointed a senator for casting a new light on the controversial topic of migration.
Though "Tolo Tolo" is seen as Zalone's most controversial film, Canova noted that Zalone has never shied away from controversy in his work.
"The issue of immigration is particularly controversial in Italy these days, but he has taken on other divisive topics like the lack of jobs, terrorism, and divorce," the professor said.
