COPOMIAO President Basil Russo and wife Patricia (left-center) pose with their sons, Anthony and Joseph Russo, and daughters Gabriella and Angela, at the world premiere of “The Gray Man” on July 13 in L.A.
From big budget projects to small-town Italian American roots, the Russo Brothers remain connected to what matters most.
Joe and Anthony Russo, a pair of Italian American brothers and filmmakers from Cleveland, Ohio, continue their meteoric ascent fueled by groundbreaking storytelling, big-budget spending and good old Hollywood stardust.
Consider the following:
- The Russo Brothers are the most successful filmmakers in the world. Over the past six years, their films have grossed $7 billion at the box office. No other director comes close to that figure.
- Their new Netflix film, The Gray Man, which opened July 15 in select theaters and will premiere on the streaming service July 22, cost a cool $200 million and is winning positive reviews from movie-goers and mainstream critics.
- They’re in the process of producing the TV spy thriller Citadel, a mega-project bankrolled by Amazon Studios, which will follow an unprecedented production concept, where multiple Citadelshows will be crafted around the world and concurrently aired alongside the U.S. version. For instance, there will be Citadel: Italy and Citadel: India, among others, that will feature locales, languages and actors from those respective countries.
- They will also direct The Electric State, a futuristic story that unfolds across the American West that will open fans up to a new frontier.
- The brothers’ film studio, AGBO, is now worth more than $1 billion, and is underway in producing a dozen new projects.
Meanwhile, despite all the fame and success, the guys are happily married to their high school sweethearts, and they never miss an opportunity to bring their parents, siblings, nieces and nephews to the red carpet.
Last, but certainly not least, Joe and Anthony have created The Russo Brothers Italian American Film Forum, which awards eight filmmaking grants each year to aspiring storytellers who deliver standout depictions of the Italian American experience.
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