Chinese director Yi Zhou developing TV series, film based on Italy's Queen Marie-Jose

'The May Queen', who reigned for just 35 days, was known as a radical royal who helped try to topple Italy’s facist leader Mussolini and pled with Hitler to help the Belgian people. She lived in exile for years and died in 2001 aged 94. 

Zhou, who was born in China but grew up in Italy, will produce both the projects through her Rome-based production banner Into the Sun Films. According to Deadline, Prince Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia, Prince of Venice, is executive-producing the TV series. 

The Prince is the grandson of Queen Marie-Jose. 

Zhou will also be writing the screenplay for the TV series as well as the movie and plans to direct the feature as well. The Royal House of Savoy TV series will depict the beginnings of Marie-Jose, the young maverick princess as she grows into an independent woman, then dutifully fulfills her destiny of wedding a handsome prince. 

“Yi is an extraordinary storyteller who I know will bring my grandmother’s story to life beautifully. We’re looking forward to creating an unforgettable experience for audiences worldwide,'' Prince Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia said. 

Zhou said she is compelled to bring Marie-Jose's fascinating story to life in both the formats. 

''The story of Queen Marie-Jose is sweepingly epic, and imbedded in every layer are dramatic twists, many with weighty historical significance and ramifications. This is a certainly a case where real life bests fiction,'' the director-producer said. 

''Royal dynasties elicit genuine intrigue that audiences globally are highly receptive to, and we’re confident the stories we tell of the May Queen will satiate a lot of appetites and more importantly – entertain,'' she added.