“It's not true that people don't go to the cinema anymore. Look at the USA: in 2018 there was an all-time record for tickets sold in theaters. If you pamper the consumer, he really goes to the cinema. And that's what we want to do." Guglielmo Marchetti, president, managing director and first shareholder of Notorious Pictures, a company founded in 2012 and listed on the AIM Italia segment on Piazza Affari, has clear ideas. The company, which according to the words of its number one works "at 360 degrees in the audiovisual sector", closed a record-breaking 2018, with turnover jumping by 74% to 31,5 million, profit exploded by 181% above 4 million, and a positive financial situation of over 3 million. “But we are not surprised – explains Marchetti, at the top of Notorious since 2013 -. The performance was excellent but absolutely falls within expectations, it is the result of what has been sown since 2014 with the business plan and is the starting point for a new cycle".
A new cycle that foresees a return to the past, with the newco Notorious Cinemas, created in January of this year and which aims between now and 2023 for a 5% market share at national level in the field of multiplex cinemas: “We already have acquired the former Centro Sarca in Milan and we aim to sell 5 million tickets a year by the end of the next five years. The secret is to offer an experience of high quality and comfort, starting from video and audio up to reclining seats, a wider range of food & beverages and why not greater courtesy from the staff”. But the business of Notorious Pictures, whose share on the Stock Exchange has almost tripled in value in the last year, is obviously also looking to the future: this is why, in addition to buying, producing and marketing films, the company starting this year, it is also launching into the very fertile market of TV series, never as fashionable as in this period thanks to the digitization of the offer and platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, Infinity and others. "We have created a special business unit, this is a new activity for us, we already have many contacts both abroad and in Italy but for now we are still in the development and research phase of the contents to offer, we are not producing anything yet" Marchetti reveals.
While waiting for the TV series, on the film front the activity of the Roman production company already foresees collaborations with all realities, even the most innovative ones: cinema, home video (both physical, with DVDs, and digital with 'e-rental), pay-per-view, pay TV (for example Sky), free TV (Rai, Mediaset, etc) and over-the-top platforms such as Netflix. “Today, we mainly buy, distribute or produce films for the cinema, but in some cases also only for television or online platforms”. In the carnet of films for the cinema distributed by Notorious it is worth noting, very recently, the US romantic film "A meter from you", released on March 21 and blockbuster in the first four days of programming, taking first place at the Box Office between 21 and 24 March, with collections of €1,34 million. Among those produced directly by Notorious, however, there are for example "Copperman" with Luca Argentero, released in February of this year, or "The truth I explain about love", with Ambra Angiolini and Carolina Crescentini, and the comedy with Massimo Boldi and Max Tortora "The Champions Cup".
“In the last two years – adds Marchetti – a substantial part of our business has also been linked to the executive production on behalf of international film companies, which have commissioned us to shoot (while the post-production is usually done by them) whole or even just some scenes”. This is thanks to the Franceschini law, which has ensured that, at least in the cinematographic field, Italy is still a very attractive country for foreign investors. “30% of the cost is tax deducted and this has allowed us and other companies to make more competitive estimates. Not to mention the expertise that Italy makes available, or its cities of art, its unique landscapes”.
