Cruz steps up to Castellitto's Don't Move

Penelope Cruz has signed to star in Italian-Spanish co-production Don't Move (Non Ti Muovere) for actor-turned-director Sergio Castellitto.

The film, which begins shooting in Rome on July 28, would mark Cruz's first Spanish co-production since 2001's No News From God (Sin Noticias De Dios) and her third film in Italian.

The Euros 6m Don't Move is a co-production between Italy's Cattleya and Medusa and Spain's Alquimia Cinema. The film marks Castellitto's second turn behind the camera following his debut Libero Burro.

Castellitto - awarded top honours from the European Film Academy last year for both The Hour Of Religion (L'Ora Di Religioni) and Bella Martha - is also expected to co-star in the romantic drama based on a best-selling novel by Margaret Mazzantini, with whom he co-wrote the script.

Don't Move marks another in a growing list of co-productions between Cattleya's Riccardo Tozzi, Marco Chimenz and Giovanni Stabilini, and Alquimia's Francisco Ramos, including Callas Forever, I Am Not Afraid (Io Non Ho Paura) and the forthcoming Eyes Of Crystal (Occhi Di Cristallo) from director Eros Puglielli.

Cruz is represented by Kuranda Management International and CAA. The actress's longtime Madrid-based agent Katrina Bayonas, of Kuranda, recently highlighted Cruz's interest in boarding more European productions. She is expected to reunite with Pedro Almodovar on a future project as well.