[The following story contains spoilers from the Netflix movie Nonnas.]
In Nonnas, the Netflix film based mostly on Joe Scaravella’s nonnas-centric restaurant on Staten Island, Vince Vaughn‘s Joe is impressed to open the fictional model of Enoteca Maria after his mom dies, suggesting that the eatery will assist him maintain his mother’s reminiscence alive, as a result of “meals is love.”
That intense affection was felt offscreen amongst Vaughn; the film’s celebrity forged of nonnas performed by Susan Sarandon, Brenda Vaccaro, Talia Shire and Lorraine Bracco; Joe Manganiello, who performs Scaravella’s real-life greatest pal; and married author Liz Maccie and director Stephen Chbosky.
“I used to be drawn to absolutely the coronary heart and goodness and kindness of it. I felt so fortunate to place one thing good out into the world,” Maccie informed The Hollywood Reporter of what attracted her to Nonnas‘ true story on the film’s latest premiere. “I additionally simply felt the reflection of my family within the story, and I grew up in New Jersey in an Italian-American household and what meals meant to us — it was like one other language. So to put in writing a film that integrated the love of meals and custom and legacy, it was like a slam dunk.”
And it was the bond between characters that attracted Sarandon and Manganiello to the movie.
Sarandon stated she was drawn to the “the power to work with so many nice ladies; you simply don’t have that likelihood.”
She added, “I like ensembles, and I like to be in a household state of affairs, and that is about household, and we shaped a household.”
Manganiello had a lot of issues that drew him in, together with being a fan of Chbosky, Vaughn and Drea de Matteo, who performs his character’s spouse; seizing a uncommon alternative for him to play Italian and do a comedy; and a “improbable” script.
“For me, my character’s arc is predicated round his friendship with Vince, so I assumed the male friendship between Vince’s character and mine was nice — the comedy in the truth that males are horrible communicators can also be hilarious,” he stated, additionally expressing his appreciation for the way he and de Matteo’s character “play combat in a approach that might most likely be panic-inducing to different individuals.”
And the actor recalled the “enjoyable” he and Vaughn had hanging out with their real-life counterparts.
“Vince and I went over to the true Enoteca Maria one night time and frolicked with Joe and Bruno whereas the nonnas cooked us dinner,” he stated. “It was tremendous enjoyable to hang around with these guys and to get to select their brains.”
Even when it got here to Netflix’s September acquisition of the film, which was filmed earlier than the actors strike in 2023, the streamer’s assist, producer Rachel Shane informed THR, was essential.
“We simply needed to have as many eyeballs on this movie as attainable,” the Madison Wells chief inventive officer stated when requested why Netflix was the best house for the undertaking. “It’s actually one thing that folks want proper now: household, group, meals, second possibilities for everybody particularly older ladies, and it’s simply been unbelievable. They actually embraced it like no person else has.”
Bracco, who had an enthusiastic, hug-filled reunion with Chbosky and Maccie on the Nonnas premiere, stated working with the couple was a “lovefest” and that her extra initially stoic character Roberta finds herself drawn to her fellow cooks.
“I don’t suppose within the very starting she was very thrilled with them however little by little, by means of meals and the kitchen, all of us opened up to one another,” Bracco informed THR.
Although Bracco’s character, along with being Joe’s mother’s greatest pal, has her personal youngsters and grandchildren, she’s estranged from them, viewers be taught, lastly reaching out through a cellphone name close to the top of the film. In the meantime, Vaccaro’s Antonella resides alone after her husband died and her youngsters and grandchildren moved away, lamenting that she doesn’t see them typically, and Shire’s Teresa and Sarandon’s Gia by no means had youngsters.
Susan Sarandon in Nonnas.
Jeong Park/Netflix © 2025
Although viewers don’t see the nonnas in shut contact with their very own grandchildren, Maccie says that was “intentional in a approach.”
“I actually needed to emphasise that they turned one another’s household,” she informed THR. “It’s an important theme for me that household isn’t at all times a bloodline, it’s the individuals you share bread with, it’s your neighbor, it’s the individual throughout the road. Household can are available all other ways.”
Maccie added, referencing Vaccaro’s character speaking about “older ladies in [her] life with youngsters they’ve raised to stay all around the nation,” “She was actually my maypole of what the objective of being a mom is, what the objective of being a grandmother is, which is that your youngsters will discover their very own life they usually’ll transfer. They’ll go and stay their very own lives. Perhaps you don’t see them as a lot, however you’re feeling proud.”
Chbosky added, “One other factor that we talked about is that so typically, ladies of a sure age, you’re outlined by your function in a household or as a grandmother. The concept of allow us to concentrate on their function as ladies as this factor that they do, we thought it was a really contemporary technique to method.”
Sarandon additionally appreciated what the movie stated about ladies of a selected technology. “For years, ladies have held households collectively, and it’s type of unhappy now that there aren’t extra grandmothers that may develop outdated in anyone’s home with the grandkids, and I believe we must always worth these life classes and recipes.”
The actress, who’s lengthy been outspoken politically, made headlines after Nonnas was filmed however earlier than Netflix acquired it for controversial feedback, for which she shortly apologized, at a 2023 pro-Palestinian rally. On the Nonnas premiere, Sarandon continued to specific her assist for the Palestinian individuals, sporting a Artists4Ceasefire pin. When requested about her hopes for the long run amid a politically divisive local weather within the U.S., Sarandon introduced the main focus again to the Center East, saying, “My hope is for Palestine to outlive and to develop into liberated.”
Susan Sarandon, sporting an Artists4Ceasefire pin on the ‘Nonnas’ premiere in New York.
Dia Dipasupil/Getty Photographs
When requested particularly about Sarandon’s 2023 remarks, Chbosky indicated that the power to respect individuals with totally different views, which was mirrored on set, is a part of what the movie is about.
“You have a look at our forged and our crew, I don’t know if there’s a political opinion that isn’t shared by anyone,” he stated. “We’re all entitled to our opinions and what’s actually cool is when you could have a libertarian like Vince and you’ve got a liberal like Susan they usually love one another they usually received alongside, and there was nothing however respect. And to me, the film is about respect.”
And it’s that form of respect that the true Scaravella had for each Sarandon and his common prospects who’d reserved tables at Enoteca Maria when the Oscar-winning actress wanetd a last-minute desk after signing on to Nonnas.
“It’s a Friday. I’m in pre-production. Susan Sarandon has signed on to be within the film. Susan’s assistant Madison, a stunning individual, calls me and says Susan would like to have a desk for 4 tomorrow night time at six o’clock,” Chbosky recalled. “I name Joe, I’m going, ‘Hey, Susan Sarandon needs a desk for 4 at six o’clock.’ His response: ‘Ooh, ahh, I don’t know’ — by the way in which, loves Susan Sarandon, it’s not that — ‘I can’t try this to my regulars.’ So he calls me again. He says, ‘How about 6:30?’”
Nonnas is now streaming on Netflix.