Former Cinecittà Studios chief Nicola Maccanico has been appointed CEO of Rome-based production shingle Colorado Film. The company is owned and operated by Italy’s Rainbow Group, led by Iginio Straffi, creator of the hit “Winx Club” animation franchise.
Maccanico, who is a former Warner Bros. and Sky Italia senior exec, spearheaded the radical overhaul of Cinecittà’s Rome studios for three years. He stepped down in 2024 after Italy’s right-wing government decided to change the studios’ management team.
Colorado Film is a commercially successful live-action movies shingle that in 2024 scored a hit with young adult romantic drama “The Tearsmith,” which became the first Netflix Italy original to reach the No. 1 slot on the streamer’s global movie chart in the non-English-language category. Besides “The Tearsmith,” Colorado’s top titles over the years comprise the smash-hit “Me Contro Te” comedy franchise, featuring two Sicilian YouTube sensations; blockbuster comedy “La Peggior Settimana della Mia Vita”; theatrical saga “Ten Days Without Mom”; and bestselling Italian mystery writer Donato Carrisi’s directorial debut “The Girl in the Fog.”
Colorado’s upcoming productions include English-language rom-com “Blame It on Rome,” directed by Francesco Carrozzini and starring Michele Morrone (“365 Days”) and Gabrielle Union (“Bad Boys II”). It’s co-produced by Colorado Film, Nebraska and Amazon MGM Studios as an original for Prime Video Italy.
Maccanico will replace Colorado’s outgoing CEO Thomas J. Ciampa, who has just been appointed chief of Vision Distribution, the Italian theatrical distributor jointly operated by Sky Italia and five prominent Italian production companies.
“Nicola Maccanico’s appointment is part of Rainbow Group’s ongoing growth strategy and is aimed at further strengthening Colorado Film’s position within the Italian and international audiovisual industry, building on its creative heritage and developing new production opportunities,” Rainbow Group said in a statement.
“Nicola Maccanico’s arrival marks the driving force behind a new strategic phase for the future of Colorado Film,” said Straffi, Rainbow Group’s president. “His extensive expertise and ability to combine creative vision with industrial strategy will be crucial to the company’s expansion.”
Straffi added, “We will continue to invest in talent and in Italian creative excellence, driven by the ambition to ensure these stories resonate powerfully with audiences both in Italy and internationally.”
Commented Maccanico: “Contributing to the development of Colorado Film is an important challenge, and having the opportunity to do so alongside an entrepreneur with the visionary talent of Iginio Straffi is a privilege. The audiovisual market needs Italian production companies with an industrial mindset, capable of growing and becoming increasingly competitive. I am convinced that this is the role Colorado is meant to play, and it is the role we will strive to fulfill with ever greater impact.”
