Michele Placido’s four-part series Livatino – Il giudice e i suoi assassini had its premiere on the evening of 21 October 2026 at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome, in the Sala Petrassi. The screening was part of the Freestyle Serie section of the 21st Festa del Cinema di Roma, and President of the Republic Sergio Mattarella was in the audience, alongside representatives of institutions, culture and the audiovisual industry.
The series reaches television in two evenings: Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 November 2026 on Rai 1, and on RaiPlay.
What the series is about
Livatino follows the last two years in the life of Rosario Livatino, the magistrate from Canicattì killed in an ambush by the Stidda on 21 September 1990, at the age of 37. Alongside his story, the series follows the young men of the Stidda who would become his killers. It is a choice that puts the judge and the people who murdered him in the same frame, in the tradition of Italian civil cinema that Placido openly references: Francesco Rosi, Pietro Germi, Mario Monicelli.
The release comes a few weeks after a decree of 7 October 2026 from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Divine Worship named Livatino patron of Italian magistrates.
Cast and creative team
The screenplay is by Angelo Pasquini, Fidel Signorile and Michele Placido, who also directs. It is his first directing job for Rai Fiction.
- Giuseppe De Domenico plays Rosario Livatino.
- Leonardo Maltese plays Tano, one of the future killers.
- The cast also includes Nino Frassica, Michela De Rossi, Ninni Bruschetta, Brenno Placido, Francesco Benigno and Gaetano Aronica.
- David Coco plays Paolo Borsellino and Beniamino Marcone plays Giovanni Falcone. Michele Placido appears in a special role.
At the screening, Rai Fiction director Maria Pia Ammirati described the series as part of Rai’s public-service role in keeping memory alive and promoting a culture of legality. Producer Federica Luna Vincenti underlined the civic and institutional weight of the evening.
A production made in Sicily
Livatino is a co-production of Rai Fiction, Goldenart Production and Rai Com, produced by Federica Luna Vincenti. It was made with the support of the Ministry of Culture (Directorate General for Cinema and Audiovisual), the Regione Siciliana through its Department of Tourism, Sport and Entertainment, and the Sicilia Film Commission.
Shooting started on 29 September 2025 and lasted around ten weeks, mostly in the province of Agrigento: Naro, Canicattì, Palma di Montechiaro, Favara and Agrigento itself, before wrapping in Rome. Among the Agrigento locations were the Palazzo di Giustizia and a stretch of the SS640 state road where the ambush took place, as reported by QdS.
Our part in it
FixerSicily handled location management on the series: scouting close to 50 locations, permits with the municipalities, road closures and on-set logistics. We wrote about what that involved in Location Manager in Sicily: Our Work on Livatino.
Why it matters for filming in Sicily
A prime-time Rai 1 drama premiered at the Rome Film Fest, with the Head of State in the room, is a strong signal for the island. It shows that a demanding period production can be built largely on Sicilian locations, small towns included, with regional and film commission support behind it.
For producers looking at Sicily, the lesson is practical: the locations are there, the institutional support exists, and the work on the ground (permits, municipalities, road closures, community relations) is what turns a script into a shooting schedule. That is the part we cover with our production services.
FAQ
When does Livatino air on Rai 1?
In two evenings, Monday 9 and Tuesday 10 November 2026, on Rai 1 and RaiPlay.
Who plays Rosario Livatino?
Giuseppe De Domenico, with Leonardo Maltese, Nino Frassica, Michela De Rossi and Ninni Bruschetta in the cast.
Where was Livatino filmed?
Mostly in the province of Agrigento (Naro, Canicattì, Palma di Montechiaro, Favara, Agrigento), with the final days in Rome.
Planning a shoot in Sicily? Write to info@fixersicily.com or use our contact page.