# The Italian Job (2003 film)
**The Italian Job** is a 2003 American heist action film directed by [F. Gary Gray](https://www.edgepedia.org/f-gary-gray), in which a team of thieves betrayed after a Venice gold robbery regroup in Los Angeles to steal back their loot from the man who double-crossed them. It stars [Mark Wahlberg](https://www.edgepedia.org/mark-wahlberg), Charlize Theron, Edward Norton, Seth Green, Jason Statham, Mos Def, Franky G, and [Donald Sutherland](https://www.edgepedia.org/donald-sutherland), and was released by Paramount Pictures on May 30, 2003.[1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/the-italian-job-2003) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/italian_job)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Director / producer | F. Gary Gray; produced by Donald De Line[1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/the-italian-job-2003) |
| Release | May 30, 2003 (wide, United States); Paramount Pictures[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/italian_job) |
| Rating / runtime | PG-13; 111 minutes[1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/the-italian-job-2003) |
| Writers | Donna Powers and Wayne Powers, from the 1969 film written by Troy Kennedy Martin[3](https://www.commissionefilmcei.it/film/the-italian-job/) |
| Box office | $176,070,171 worldwide ($106,128,601 domestic) against a $60,000,000 budget[4](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0317740/) |
| Critical scores | 72% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (178 reviews); Metascore 68 on Metacritic[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/italian_job) • [5](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-italian-job/) |
| Signature element | A climactic chase with three souped-up Mini Coopers through Los Angeles streets and the L.A. River[6](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/paul-feig-the-italian-job-sequel-paramount/) |
## Spoilers
### Plot
The film opens in Venice, where a crew led by veteran thief John Bridger (Donald Sutherland) and Charlie Croker (Mark Wahlberg) steals $35 million in gold bars from a heavily guarded safe in a Venetian palazzo.[7](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317740/plotsummary/) • [8](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-italian-job-2003) As the crew celebrates, one of their own, Steve Frezelli ([Edward Norton](https://www.edgepedia.org/edward-norton)), stages an ambush with hired accomplices: he kills Bridger, sends the others into the water believing them dead, and escapes with the gold.[3](https://www.commissionefilmcei.it/film/the-italian-job/)
The survivors regroup and recruit Stella Bridger ([Charlize Theron](https://www.edgepedia.org/charlize-theron)), John's daughter and a skilled safecracker, to recover the gold from Steve's Los Angeles mansion.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/italian_job) The plan centers on manipulating Los Angeles traffic signals to create the largest traffic jam in the city's history, giving the team time to pull off the theft.[9](https://www.tcm.com/articles/28924/the-italian-job-the-remake) The getaway runs through sidewalks, the subway, and Hollywood's Walk of Fame in BMW Mini Coopers, squeezing through alleys and tunnels, and ends in a chase that careens above and below the streets of Los Angeles.[9](https://www.tcm.com/articles/28924/the-italian-job-the-remake) • [1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/the-italian-job-2003)
The crew's other members are Handsome Rob ([Jason Statham](https://www.edgepedia.org/jason-statham)), the driver; Left Ear ([Mos Def](https://www.edgepedia.org/mos-def)), the explosives expert; Lyle ([Seth Green](https://www.edgepedia.org/seth-green)), the computer hacker; and Wrench (Franky G).[1](https://www.paramount.com/movies/the-italian-job-2003) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/italian_job)
## Production
The screenplay is credited to Donna Powers and Wayne Powers, adapted from the 1969 British film written by [Troy Kennedy Martin](https://www.edgepedia.org/troy-kennedy-martin).[3](https://www.commissionefilmcei.it/film/the-italian-job/) John Powell composed the score, and Wally Pfister served as cinematographer.[3](https://www.commissionefilmcei.it/film/the-italian-job/)
**The Mini Coopers.** BMW Group supplied Paramount with 32 MINI vehicles for the production, of which only three appear on screen; the rest served the various road-unit shoots.[10](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/italy/article/detail/T0017164IT/the-italian-job-vola-nelle-sale-italiane-dall-11-luglio?language=it) Gray sent his actors to a driving school so they could handle the cars' maneuverability, and the actors drove the Minis down the stairs into the Hollywood Boulevard Metro Rail station themselves.[10](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/italy/article/detail/T0017164IT/the-italian-job-vola-nelle-sale-italiane-dall-11-luglio?language=it) For some shots a Mini Cooper fitted with two steering wheels was used, allowing a stunt driver to control the car while an actor performed for the camera.[11](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317740/trivia?item=tr0686321)
**The traffic jam.** To stage the gridlock, the producers shut down two blocks of [Hollywood Boulevard](https://www.edgepedia.org/hollywood-boulevard), between Mann's Chinese Theater and the Kodak Theater, one of the city's most popular tourist spots. The shoot affected traffic from south Los Angeles to the [San Fernando Valley](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-fernando-valley) for a week.[9](https://www.tcm.com/articles/28924/the-italian-job-the-remake)
## Relationship to the 1969 original
The 2003 film shares its title, its gold-heist premise, and its Mini Cooper getaway cars with the 1969 British caper starring [Michael Caine](https://www.edgepedia.org/michael-caine), but it tells a different story: the original's heist and chase take place in Turin, Italy, while the 2003 version moves the theft to Venice and the main action to Los Angeles.[9](https://www.tcm.com/articles/28924/the-italian-job-the-remake) • [12](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/sep/16/news) At the film's [Leicester Square](https://www.edgepedia.org/leicester-square) premiere, Charlize Theron described it as an "homage" to Peter Collinson's original rather than a remake, saying the cast and crew had not tried to remake the original but had given it "a nice respectful nod."[12](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/sep/16/news) The film does include a direct nod to its roots: in one scene, Michael Caine appears on a large-screen television in a clip from his movie *Alfie*.[9](https://www.tcm.com/articles/28924/the-italian-job-the-remake)
Edward Norton's participation was reportedly the result of a contractual agreement with Paramount.[12](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/sep/16/news)
## Reception and box office
The film opened wide on May 30, 2003, grossing $19,457,944 on its domestic opening weekend and $106,128,601 domestically, 60.3 percent of its $176,070,171 worldwide total, against a $60 million budget.[4](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0317740/) It was Paramount's highest-grossing release of that year.[13](https://darkmode.wppool.dev/www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/italian-job-paul-feig-paramount-1236695543/)
Critics were broadly favorable. Rotten Tomatoes records a 72 percent Tomatometer from 178 reviews and an 80 percent audience score, with the critics' consensus crediting the film's entertainment value to its charismatic cast despite "iffy plot elements."[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/italian_job) Metacritic assigned a Metascore of 68 based on 37 critic reviews, with 76 percent of them positive.[5](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-italian-job/) Roger Ebert, the longtime [Chicago Sun-Times](https://www.edgepedia.org/chicago-sun-times) critic, called it "a slick caper movie with stupendous chase scenes and a truly ingenious way to steal $35 million in gold bars from a safe in a Venetian palazzo."[8](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-italian-job-2003) Time later included it in a list of the 25 best heist movies, noting that it is more about revenge than the take, a twist on the typical heist film.[14](https://time.com/4895598/the-25-best-heist-movies/)
## Legacy and sequel
A sequel was discussed soon after release, with a follow-up tentatively titled *The Brazilian Job* in development for years before those plans were scrapped.[15](https://tollbit.radiotimes.com/movies/the-italian-job-reboot-paul-feig-newsupdate/) In September 2026, Paramount entered early talks with director [Paul Feig](https://www.edgepedia.org/paul-feig), known for *Bridesmaids* and *The Housemaid*, to direct a sequel to the 2003 film; the studio was seeking writers, and no cast, production start, or release date had been announced.[6](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/paul-feig-the-italian-job-sequel-paramount/) • [15](https://tollbit.radiotimes.com/movies/the-italian-job-reboot-paul-feig-newsupdate/)
The film's Mini Cooper chase remains its best-known element, and the cars' appearance in the movie was promoted by BMW as a centerpiece of the film's marketing in Italy and the United States.[10](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/italy/article/detail/T0017164IT/the-italian-job-vola-nelle-sale-italiane-dall-11-luglio?language=it) • [16](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/article/attachment/T0018292EN_US/36045)
## References
1. [The Italian Job (2003), Paramount Pictures](https://www.paramount.com/movies/the-italian-job-2003)
2. [The Italian Job, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/italian_job)
3. [The Italian Job, Commissione Nazionale Valutazione Film](https://www.commissionefilmcei.it/film/the-italian-job/)
4. [The Italian Job (2003), Box Office Mojo](https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0317740/)
5. [The Italian Job Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/the-italian-job/)
6. [Paul Feig in Talks to Direct Sequel to 'The Italian Job' at Paramount, TheWrap](https://www.thewrap.com/creative-content/movies/paul-feig-the-italian-job-sequel-paramount/)
7. [The Italian Job (2003) - Plot, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317740/plotsummary/)
8. [The Italian Job movie review, RogerEbert.com](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-italian-job-2003)
9. [The Italian Job - The Remake, Turner Classic Movies](https://www.tcm.com/articles/28924/the-italian-job-the-remake)
10. ["The Italian Job" vola nelle sale italiane dall'11 luglio, BMW Group PressClub](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/italy/article/detail/T0017164IT/the-italian-job-vola-nelle-sale-italiane-dall-11-luglio?language=it)
11. [The Italian Job (2003) - Trivia, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0317740/trivia?item=tr0686321)
12. [New Job no remake, claim stars, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2003/sep/16/news)
13. [Italian Job: Paul Feig to Direct New Heist Movie Sequel at Paramount, The Hollywood Reporter](https://darkmode.wppool.dev/www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/italian-job-paul-feig-paramount-1236695543/)
14. [The 25 Best Heist Movies, Time](https://time.com/4895598/the-25-best-heist-movies/)
15. [The Italian Job reboot revealed for Paramount, Radio Times](https://tollbit.radiotimes.com/movies/the-italian-job-reboot-paul-feig-newsupdate/)
16. [MINI Cooper press release, BMW Group PressClub USA](https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/usa/article/attachment/T0018292EN_US/36045)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Crime, thriller, and mystery films (individual works) › 2000–2004 films › Released 2003 to 2004*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 3, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license