Released on December 25 by Medusa, the film has dominated the Italian market throughout the holiday season, commanding an estimated 70 per cent share of ticket sales and holding the number-one spot for five consecutive weeks. According to Medusa chief Giampaolo Letta, the performance has made Buen Camino the highest-grossing film of all time in Italy.
In doing so, the comedy-drama has eclipsed Zalone’s own previous record-holder, Quo Vado (2016), and overtaken Avatar, which until now held the all-time Italian box office crown with $82 million in takings.
Directed and co-written by Nunziante, Buen Camino marks the fifth feature collaboration between the filmmaker and Zalone, a partnership that has consistently delivered record-breaking results. The film follows Zalone as a wealthy, morally wayward father who speeds across Spain in a red Ferrari along the historic Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route in search of his runaway daughter.
The project was produced by Indiana Production, owned by European studio group Vuelta. Indiana’s Marco Cohen described the film’s success as a powerful statement for theatrical cinema at a time of widespread industry uncertainty.
“At a time when many of us producers are wondering if it still makes sense to make movies for theatrical, it’s amazing to see how a film like Buen Camino drew over nine million Italians out of their homes to go watch it,” Cohen said. He added that research shows roughly one in four viewers was under the age of 24, highlighting the film’s cross-generational appeal. Cohen also revealed that the producers have received more than a dozen requests for international remake rights.
Vuelta chair Jerome Levy echoed that sentiment, praising the project as a reflection of the company’s creative ambitions. “As Vuelta, we’re thrilled to have produced Buen Camino and to be working with great Italian talents like Gennaro Nunziante and Checco Zalone,” Levy said, describing the film as emblematic of Vuelta’s goal to support leading European creatives and help them realise their ambitions.
Speaking about the film’s impact, Nunziante said the success was particularly meaningful because Buen Camino represented a tonal shift from their previous work. While Zalone’s films are known for broad comedy and sharp social satire, this outing introduced a stronger emotional undercurrent.
According to Nunziante, the sentimental dimension emerged organically rather than by design. Both he and Zalone, fathers of young women, found themselves reflecting on modern fatherhood during the writing process. That perspective, he explained, naturally infused the story and resonated with audiences.
Nunziante also pointed to Zalone’s willingness to expand his screen persona as a key factor in the film’s success. For the first time, the actor plays a rich man rather than his usual portrayal of the “average Italian,” a creative risk that helped generate fresh energy. The Camino de Santiago itself, Nunziante added, became a central force in shaping the film’s tone and authenticity.
Before the release, some pilgrimage-focused websites had expressed concern that the film might trivialise or disrespect the route’s spiritual significance. Nunziante said those fears have since subsided, with many of the same platforms now engaging positively with the film and acknowledging its respectful treatment of the journey.
Beyond its domestic triumph, Buen Camino is also being viewed as a potential turning point for Zalone and Nunziante internationally. The director believes the film has significantly broader global appeal than their earlier hits, including Quo Vado, which astonished observers abroad with its Italian box office haul a decade ago.
“We are now in exactly the same position we were in with Quo Vado 10 years ago,” Nunziante said, noting that international industry figures are once again asking how such success was achieved. This time, however, he believes the film’s themes and emotional accessibility make it better suited for audiences beyond Italy.
With Indiana Production and Vuelta both keen to look past national borders, Buen Camino may represent not just another domestic milestone, but the beginning of a wider international chapter for one of Italy’s most commercially successful creative partnerships.