Journey to Italy for an amazing love story with Netflix’s From Scratch, starring Zoe Saldaña.
Experience the next great love story with the new limited series From Scratch on Netflix. Zoe Saldaña stars as Amy, an American-born woman ready to experience the art, food, and culture Italy has to offer. She didn't know the trip would be the start of her epic love story.
Deadline confirmed that Netflix had picked up the series in November 2019, shortly after the memoir the show is based on was released. Saldaña was revealed as the lead actress and an executive producer at the same time. Attica Locke and Tembi Locke are the creators, with Attica Locke (Little Fires Everywhere) also named the showrunner. The other executive producers include both Lockes, Reese Witherspoon, Lauren Neustadter (The Morning Show), Richard Abate (13 Hours), Jermaine Johnson, and Will Rowbotham (Olympic Dreams).
Let's jet to Italy as we share everything we know about From Scratch so you can decide if it's a romance show worth watching.
Amy is fresh off the plane from Texas, exploring Italy and trying to experience what she may never have the time to do again, taking art classes and trying amazing food. A chance encounter with Lino, an Italian chef, leads to the whirlwind romance of a lifetime.
The two embark on a life together full of love, but it isn't without difficulty. Amy's parents want her to return to law school, while Lino's parents are unsure of him marrying a Black woman from America. The two persevere, getting married and continuing to take what life throws at them, even when things get tough.
As they settle into life in America, Lino has a difficult time finding a job that fulfills him. In Italy, he was a chef at a restaurant, but he's having trouble breaking into that realm in the United States. He begins working as a waiter, but he struggles with the fact he can't do what he's truly passionate about.
Life takes a turn when Lino is diagnosed with cancer. What was meant to be a beautiful life of food and art turned into doctor's appointments and cancer treatments while trying to raise a young daughter. Audiences will have to watch to see how Lino and Amy overcome their obstacles and how their love prevails.
Based on the trailer, it isn't clear what Amy begins doing for work as the two settle in America. She's adamant about not returning to law school, but it isn't clear how or if she is helping support the couple while Lino struggles to break into the culinary world again. She is regularly shown painting, so there's hope that she is able to maintain space in her life for her passion. Maybe she even utilizes it to provide her family with monetary support.
Zoe Saldaña plays Amy. The actress is recognizable from her work in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Gamora, Avatar, and Star Trek. Eugenio Mastrandrea portrays Lino, the chef. Mastrandrea has previously been in the shows La fuggitiva and Nero a metà.
The rest of the cast includes Danielle Deadwyler (Station Eleven) as Zora, Keith David (Entergalactic, The Princess and the Frog) as Hershel, Kellita Smith (Z Nation) as Lynn, Judith Scott as Maxine, Lucia Sardo as Filomena, Paride Benassai as Giacomo, Roberta Rigano (I Know This Much Is True) as Biagia, Terrell Carter (A House Divided, Empire) as Ken, Medalion Rahimi (NCIS: Los Angeles, Pam & Tommy) as Laila, Jonathan Del Arco (Major Crimes) as David, Peter Mendoza (On My Block) as Andreas, Lorenzo Pozzan (Catch-22) as Filippo, Jonathan D. King (Taking the Fall) as Silvio, Saad Siddiqui (The Hardy Boys, Coroner) as Dr. Atluri, Giacomo Gianniotti (Grey's Anatomy) as Giancarlo, Elizabeth Anweis (Batwoman) as Chloe Lim, Kassandra Clementi (Single Ladies, Love on Repeat) as Caroline, and Rodney Gardiner (David Makes Man) as Preston.
The series will be available to stream on Netflix starting October 21, 2022.
From Scratch is based on the best-selling memoir by Tembi Locke. Locke is an actress known for her work in Never Have I Ever, Animal Kingdom, Eureka, and The Magicians. Her book, From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily and Finding Home, explores her relationship with her husband Saro, a chef who died in 2012 from cancer. From how they met, the struggles they faced as a couple, and adopting their daughter, the actress shares it all. Locke also chronicles the three summers she spent in Italy with their daughter after her husband's death as she tries to come to terms with the loss.
The memoir was featured as the book of the month for Reese Witherspoon's book club in April 2019, which led to the actress using her production company Hello Sunshine to produce the series. This isn't the first time the actress has used her book club to find new projects to produce. Several novels featured in her book club have been adapted under her production company, including Where the Crawdads Sing, Little Fires Everywhere, and the upcoming adaption of Daisy Jones & The Six.
While you wait for this love story, check out another one starring Reese Witherspoon coming to Netflix soon.
Liz is an entertainment writer, horror fanatic, and undying romantic. After completing her degrees in Anthropology, she decided to embrace her love for writing and embark on a new path. Liz has previously covered New York Comic Con and the London Independent Film Festival.
Netflix's From Scratch: Plot, Cast, Release Date, and Everything Else … – MovieWeb
