According to a press release by HBO Max, Portobello, directed by Marco Bellocchio (Fists in the Pocket, Good Morning, Night), introduces the first two episodes, premiering at the 82nd Venice Film Festival and set to arrive on HBO Max in 2026.

Below is the official teaser trailer for Portobello.

As per the press release, the synopsis for the series reads as follows: “1982. Enzo Tortora is at the height of his success. He hosts Portobello, a show reaching 28 million viewers in prime time, where contestants try to make the parrot, the show’s mascot, speak. Tortora is the king of 1980s television, and the president of Italy, Alessandro Pertini, even appoints Tortora Commander of the Republic. During this time, the Irpinia earthquake delivers the final blow to the already fragile balance of the New Organized Camorra criminal organization. Giovanni Pandico, a trusted friend of crime boss Raffaele Cutolo and a regular viewer of Portobello, decides to repent. Interrogated by the judges, he names an unexpected person: Enzo Tortora. When on June 17, 1983, the Italian police knock on Tortora’s hotel room, he thinks it’s a mistake, but it is only the beginning of an odyssey that will drag him from the heights to the abyss.”

According to a press release, cast for the series includes Fabrizio Gifuni (The Best of Youth, My Brilliant Friend) as Enzo Tortora, Lino Musella (Feeling Better, The Hidden Child), Romana Maggiora Vergano (The Time It Takes, There’s Still Tomorrow), Barbora Bobulova (Sacred Heart, The Immature), Carlotta Gamba (Dostoesvsky, Vermiglio), Alessandro Preziosi (La Bella E La Bestia, Loose Cannons), Fausto Russo Alesi (The Bad Poet, Exterior Night), and Salvatore D’Onofrio (Rosa Funzeca, Killer Mosquitos).

As per the press release, the series is produced by Our Films, and Kavac Film, together with ARTE France, Rai Fiction and The Apartment Pictures. It’s produced by Lorenzo Mieli (I Told You So, Like a Cat on a Highway) and Mario Gianani (Finally Dawn, Forbidden City) for Our Films, and by Simone Gattoni (Marx Can Wait, The Lord of the Ants) for Kavac Film. The series is written by Bellocchio, Stefano Bises (The Hanging Sun, The King), Giordana Mari (The Bad Guy, The Perfect Dinner), and Peppe Fiore (Lovely Boy, Ultras).