There has been no shortage of mobster films over the years, and because of that genre’s popularity, there’s also no shortage of mobster film parodies. Many of these films and shows offer their own spin on the oft-told story of a person’s life in organized crime. These include full-blown comedic satires like Analyze This (1999) to more serious, but still subtly on-the-nose “dramedies” like The Sopranos (1999-2007). Now, Bleecker Street is set to offer its own spin on a mobster parody with the dark comedy, Mafia Mamma.
Mafia Mamma, directed by Twilight (2008) filmmaker Catherine Hardwick, sees Knives Out star Toni Collette play a down-on-her-luck, lonely suburbanite who is unexpectedly thrust into the complicated world of crime. Traveling all the way to rural Italy, Collette’s character is chosen to become the new leader of one of the country’s most feared crime families, a job she cannot even begin to comprehend how to do given that she’s never set foot in Europe before and the bulk of her mafia knowledge comes from the shows and movies mentioned above. She’ll need to learn the ropes and learn them quickly if she ever hopes to be treated as the ruthless mob boss that her peers want her to be and become the “Mafia Mamma” (though her employees probably won’t call her that).
To find out more about the cast, plot, trailer, and more about the latest mob comedy, here is everything we know so far about Mafia Mamma.
Does Mafia Mamma Have a Release Date?
Typically, when a debut trailer drops for a new film, there’s a release date attached at the end. That’s not the case for Mafia Mamma, as all we get is the classic phrase of “Coming Soon”, with no hard date being set by Bleecker Street. Now, there are reports that the movie will release on April 14, 2023, but again, this hasn’t actually been confirmed by Bleecker Street. Most likely we can expect to see Mafia Mamma premiere sometime in 2023 or in early 2024 at the latest. Although, we do know what format the film will release in once a date is finally set.
Will Mafia Mamma be Released on Streaming or in Theaters?
The trailer description does confirm that Mafia Mamma will be released in theaters. No plans have yet been made known for a streaming or VOD release at this time.
Watch the Mafia Mamma Trailer
In the first trailer for Mafia Mamma, we’re quickly introduced to the protagonist, Kristin Balbano (Toni Collette), who’s living her everyday life in suburban United States before she gets a surprising phone call. That call comes all the way from Italy, and on the other line is a woman named Bianca (Monica Bellucci), whom we’ll discover later is the consigliere for the Balbano crime family. Bianca informs Kristin that her grandfather, Giuseppe Balbano (Alessandro Bressanello), has passed away. Even though that sounds like it would be tragic news, Kristin is pretty indifferent to it, as she informs Bianca that she never really knew her grandfather. Despite this, Kristin is invited to attend her estranged grandfather’s funeral service that is taking place in Rome. Realizing that this could be an exciting vacation and a way to see the country her family comes from, she ultimately accepts the offer.
Kristin arrives in Rome, the funeral service begins, and she starts asking Bianca who her grandfather was. She finds out in an unexpected way, as the procession is ambushed by armed assassins who pursue Kristin, understandably causing her to ask what in the world is going on. Kristin is taken back to the Balbano estate, where a prior recording from her grandfather explains to Kristin why she’s there. Even though she and her grandfather did not have a close relationship, she is still one of his last living blood relatives, and he chose Kristin to become his successor. With some encouragement from Bianca, she decides to give running a deadly criminal organization a shot. The trailer finally ends with a Mafia Mamma title card, which of course looks highly reminiscent of the logo for The Godfather (1972). Strangely enough, the only thing that the trailer doesn’t include is a release date.
What Is the Plot of Mafia Mamma?
The official plot synopsis for Mafia Mamma reads as follows:
A suburban American woman who inherits her grandfather’s Mafia empire, and guided by the Firm’s trusted consigliere defies everyone’s expectations, including her own, as the new head of the family business.
