Edoardo Ponti’s The Life Ahead, the Italian drama that marks the big screen return of Sophia Loren, has had its world rights snapped up by Netlfix, with the streamer planning to release later this year.

The pic, co-written by Ugo Chiti (Dogman) and Ponti, sees Loren play a Holocaust survivor who takes in a 12-year-old boy who recently robbed her. The film is a contemporary adaptation of Romain Gary’s novel The Life Before Us.

The project comes from Rome-based outfit Palomar, which has credits including Rupert Everett’s Oscar Wilde movie The Happy Prince and Claudio Giovannesi’s 2019 Berlinale premiere Piranhas.

Ibrahima Gueye, Renato Carpentieri and Massimiliano Rossi also star.

UTA Independent Film Group represents filmmaker Edoardo Ponti and brokered the sale.

“In my career, I’ve worked with the biggest studios but I can safely say that none have had the breadth of reach and the cultural diversity of Netflix, and that’s what I love about them. They have understood that you don’t build a global studio unless you cultivate local talent in every country and give these unique voices an opportunity to be heard,” said Sophia Loren.

“Sophia Loren is one of the most admired and celebrated actresses in the world. We’re honored to welcome her, Edoardo and the talented team who made this film to the Netflix family. The Life Ahead is a beautiful and brave story that, much like Sophia herself, will be embraced by audiences in Italy and all around the world,” added Netflix’s Ted Sarandos.