Fire At Cinecitta

VARIETY: 'Rome' burns in Cinecitta blaze
Studio plays down reports of damage
By NICK VIVARELLI - Posted: Fri., Aug. 10, 2007, 7:23am PT

ROME -- Flames blazed overnight on Rome's Cinecitta Studios backlot, where a swath of the monumental set of HBO's completed "Rome" skein burned down but few other damages were caused, leaving the sprawling facility's sound stages, film archives, and other sets intact.

"The studios are safe, sound, and in good shape, except for a corner of the backlot where the fire broke out," Cinecitta Studios deputy director Maurizio Sperandini told Daily Variety.

The Cinecitta exec said the fire broke out near the "Rome" set -- which HBO vacated in January -- between 10 and 10.30 p.m. on Thursday night and lasted for under three hours, thanks to prompt intervention by firefighters who stamped out the flames with powerful fire trucks known as Super Dragons, sent over from nearby Leonardo da Vinci and Ciampino airports.

The fire is believed to have been caused by an electrical short circuit in an equipment shed on the compound. Officials are ruling out arson.

Flames quickly spread to the area known as the "suburra," the ancient Roman red-light district on the "Rome" set which is considered among the largest open-air sets ever constructed. It comprises a partial recreation of the Roman Forum, with temples, thermal baths, bordellos, and public buildings, all made using fiberglass panels, and other materials, some of which are highly flammable.

According to Italian press reports the flames reached as high as 40 meters (133 feet) and burned down an area of 3,000 square meters, or 32,000 square feet.

Downplaying the damage, Sperandini said the scale of the fire had "been a bit exaggerated by early press reports."

The large complex founded by Benito Mussolini in 1937 -- and known as Hollywood on the Tiber in its 1950s heyday when "Ben Hur" and "Quo Vadis" shot there -- spreads out over 600,000 square meters (717,000 square yards) and comprises 22 soundstages, including the legendary Studio 5, where Federico Fellini worked.

Besides "Rome" recent Hollywood productions at Cinecitta include Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ," Wes Anderson's "The Life Aquatic" and "Exorcist: The Beginning."

On the artier front, Abel Ferrara last year shot his screwball comedy "Go Go Tales" there.

Sperandini said the BBC is on site preparing to shoot its revived sci-fier "Doctor Who" at Cinecitta in September.