La Dolce Villa, February 13nd 2025 on Netflix !

Heard of those notorious one-euro homes in the Italian countryside? Sounds like a great deal, right? Scott Foley isn’t so sure.

In the new romantic comedy La Dolce Villa, out Feb. 13, the Scandal star heads to Italy to stop his daughter from frittering away her entire bank account on restoring one of those villas. Of course, that’s only the beginning of his trip. By the end of it, he may have a few different ideas : about life, love, and even a decaying old villa. 

“His initial determination : to save his daughter from making what he believes would be a huge mistake in purchasing property in Italy turns out to be a sort of second chance at happiness for Eric, in so many ways!” Foley tells Tudum.

Directed by Mark Waters (Lolita malgré moi, La Mère de la mariée, Freaky Friday), written by Elizabeth Hackett and Hilary Galanoy (A Perfect Pairing, Falling Inn Love) , and produced by Robyn Snyder and Deb Evans (Choose Love, A Perfect Pairing), La Dolce Villa is the kind of Italian vacation that you can take without leaving your couch. And now, you can see the first photos from the new film.

Want to learn more? Browse the prospects of La Dolce Villa with the cast and creative team below :

© Instagram Mark Waters (@mark_s_waters)

What’s La Dolce Villa about?

Eric (Foley), a successful businessman, travels to Italy to stop his daydreaming daughter, Olivia (Maia Reficco), from blowing her life savings on restoring a crumbling villa she purchased for one euro. Italy, however, has different plans for him as it delivers on its legendary promise of beauty, magic, and romance. “It’s Italy, so their prospects are excellent!” teases producer Robyn Snyder. “And that romance extends to other people, their own life’s purpose, and the country itself.”

Foley sees Eric as a wonderful man who has had a hard go of things recently. “He’s desperately trying to foster a new and different relationship with his daughter as this movie unfolds,” he says. And Eric’s awakened to the unexpected when he organically and fortuitously meets Francesca (Violante Placido) on his travels, who, like him, is also single later in life. 

“All I will say is that we meet both Eric and Olivia’s respective love interests, Francesca and Giovanni (Giuseppe Futia), right at the beginning, but our leads will need to overcome quite a few obstacles, both internal and situational, before they can settle into their happiness,” says Waters. “As Francesca says in the movie, ‘The path to true love is never smooth.’ ” Ain’t that the truth!

© Instagram Maia Reficco (@maiareficco)

Who’s in the cast of La Dolce Villa?

Alongside Foley, La Dolce Villa stars Maia Reficco(Do Revenge, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin) as Olivia. “They’re both excellent, grounded, fabulous actors and humans,” says Snyder. Also joining the cast are Violante Placido (The American, Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance) as Francesca and Hollywood newcomer Giuseppe Futia as Giovanni.

Although Foley and Reficco had a virtual introduction ahead of production, they hadn’t met in person before they landed in Rome. As Waters remembers it, they sparked an immediate, comedic friendship right away that continued into filming. “I would often have to get them to quiet down and stop laughing when we were about to roll, because they kept a light, humorous banter going throughout the shooting day,” says the director. 

© Mateo Graia for Netflix

Waters credits Foley being the father of three and Reficco’s closeness with her own large family with helping to bolster their familial dynamic on-screen. “They understood that love between family members can take many shapes and forms, so even when they are butting heads at the beginning of the picture, you can still sense that deep bond between them,” he says.

While Foley wouldn’t say that he and Reficco necessarily formed a father-daughter relationship off-screen, their friendship has definitely extended beyond the set. “She knows that if I can ever help her with advice or a home-cooked meal, I’m always available,” says Foley, who even went to see Reficco’s Broadway debut in Hadestown. “My wife and I were so thrilled to get to see her perform.”

© Giulia Parmigiani for Netflix

Did La Dolce Villa really film in Italy?

Yes, production really went to Italy to film at the eponymous La Dolce Villa for more than four weeks. “I’d go back to Italy this afternoon to shoot another project,” says Foley. La Dolce Villa filmed in Rome, eastern Lazio, and Tuscany, with the interiors of the villa built at Cinecittá Studios in Rome (also where comedy series Le Décaméron filmed!), and shot the exteriors in eastern Lazio about 45 minutes outside the Eternal City at a place called Torrino del Gelsi. This property actually rents out as an event venue, so if you want to see La Dolce Villa yourself after watching, you can definitely go and visit, as long as there isn’t a wedding on-site that day.

© Instagram Martina L.E Francesconi (@martina.l.e)

Can I see some photos from La Dolce Villa?

Ovviamente. Bask in the beauty of Italy with these first-look photos above. “Italy is everything you expect and hope it will be. It never disappoints,” says Snyder. 

When will La Dolce Villa be on Netflix?

You can enter in The Sweet Villa (La Dolce Villa) on February 13 on Netflix.

Streaming sites

• Wiflix (French subtitles)

• Swatch Series (English subtitles)

• Flixtor (English Subtitles)

• Yes Movies (English Subtitles)

Links to streaming sites are update.

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See the rest of the photos from the shoot on Maia Reficco France and the outfits she wears in the film on the Maia Reficco Fashion.