Ridley Scott to film John Paul Getty movie in Italy

However, Getty initially refused to pay a ransom to secure the release of his grandson, creating conflict in his family.

Scott is filming the story with the title All the Money in the World.

Italy has become a more attractive international filming location since 2014 when producers were allowed to claim up to €10m each in tax credit payments for a single shoot.

High-profile features have included the James Bond movie Spectre – which filmed a high-speed car chase through central Rome – and a new version of Ben-Hur that used the iconic Cinecitta Studios as a production base.

Steven Spielberg has been planning to film his period papal feature The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara in Italy as well, but the shoot has now been postponed in favour of political movie The Post.

British director Danny Boyle is also working on a TV project called Trust tackling the Getty story, which is planned as a multi-season drama looking at the family over the course of several decades.