It’s nice to see The Persuaders, the 1970–1 Tony Curtis–Roger Moore action–adventure series, still resonate in 2022.

Last month, Riva promoted three of its luxury yachts—the 68 ft Diable, the 56 ft Rivale, the 39 ft Rivamare—in a three-minute film, Riva–The Persuaders, that débuted at its 180th anniversary gala in Venezia. A Custom Line Navetta 37 superyacht from the same parent company also appears.

Taking the place of Curtis and Moore were actor Pierfrancesco Favino and footballer David Beckham, and replacing the Dino 246 GT and Aston Martin DBS were a Ferrari Roma and a classic Maserati Mistral. Also appearing in the film is Ferrari Formula 1 driver Charles Leclerc.

There’s no dialogue other than a single line from Leclerc at the end.

John Barry’s theme is re-created and modernized, while San Remo and Monaco make for stunning locations—every bit as glamorous as when Curtis and Moore were filming their series.

The film is a tribute to two of The Persuaders’ episodes: the pilot, ‘Overture’, and another one filmed on the Côte d’Azur, ‘Powerswitch’.

‘I was a loyal viewer of the TV series The Persuaders and I found the same ironic and elegant style in this little gem of a film. As always, Riva delivers big emotions,’ says Alberto Galassi, CEO of Ferretti Group, Riva and Custom Line’s parent company.

Federico Brugia directed the short; the Armando Testa Group produced.

It’s a wonderful effort with the high production values, as lavish as when Lew Grade agreed to finance the original series. And thank goodness the rumoured remake with Steve Coogan was never realized. Fans of the original deserve something special and they got it with this.
 

 
Jack Yan is founder and publisher of Lucire.