(…) “Penélope is the perfect image I have of motherhood,” says Almodóvar. “But she doesn’t come out of the Spanish tradition of motherhood. In Spain, mothers are usually depicted cooking and cleaning and are often seen as a little bit fat. Penélope emerges out of the Italian tradition of motherhood. She’s sensual and fiery like Anna Magnani or Sophia Loren.”
(…) Both Cruz and Almodóvar insist they aren’t finished collaborating. The director has flirted with the idea of remaking “Marriage Italian Style,” recasting Cruz and Banderas in the roles made famous by Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni.
“It’s curious more directors don’t think of them as a couple,” says Almodóvar. “Right now, it’s more of a desire than an actual project.”
Source: Variety