Film on Italy's controversial former PM Silvio Berlusconi in works

Oscar-winning Italian director Paolo Sorrentino has revealed that his next project is going to be a feature film on the country's controversial former prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi.

Sorrentino, best known for his films The Great Beauty and Youth, has garnered critical acclaim at the Venice Film Festival for his upcoming TV show The Young Pope, starring Jude Law.

Berlusconi, who is turning 80 and recently recovered from a heart attack, has been quietly retreating from the public spotlight. After decades of scandals from tax evasion to the infamous Bunga Bunga parties, his party Forza Italia is now struggling to remain relevant in a changing Italy, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

The magazine said Sorrentino's new film is expected to be from the director's perspective rather than being an all-out critique. Berlusconi's company Medusa co-financed most of the director's recent films, including the Oscar-winning The Great Beauty.