Innovative producer Nils Hartmann has stepped down as executive vice president of Sky Studios Italy, following a 23-year stint at the Comcast-owned pay-TV service during which he shepherded many Italian TV series that made their mark around the world.
In his capacity as director of original productions at Sky Italia, Nils Hartmann spearheaded the creation of shows that have taken Italian TV to the next level, including “Romanzo Criminale” (“Crime Novel”); the gritty “Gomorrah” franchise, which is Italy’s all-time top TV export; Paolo Sorrentino’s outrageously fun “The Young Pope”; Stefano Sollima’s cocaine trafficking drama “ZeroZeroZero”; finance-world thriller “Devils,” starring Patrick Dempsey and Alessandro Borghi; and the Joe Wright-directed drama series “Mussolini: Son of the Century.”
The most recent Sky Italia project greenlit under Hartmann’s watch is the six-episode series “Gucci: Game Over,” directed by Gabriele Muccino, which is currently shooting. It has been described by Hartmann as Italy’s response to Ridley Scott’s “House of Gucci” movie, which did not sit well with a large part of Italy’s film community that felt the film was packed with negative Italian stereotypes and also lamented it did not feature any local talents in lead roles.
Emanuele Marchesi, former head of development at Sky Studios Italia, will step into Hartmann’s role effective Aug. 1. Marchesi will report to Giuseppe De Bellis, who is Sky Italia’s EVP of sport, news and entertainment. Marchesi will also liaise closely with Cécile Frout-Coutaz, who leads Sky Studios at the group level.
In a statement, Sky Italia and Sky Group thanked Nils Hartmann “for his creative contributions, commitment, and professionalism throughout his long career,” wishing him all the best for the new unspecified challenges “that await him going forward.”