Neapolitans Push Back Against New 'Gomorrah' Spinoff Amid Growing Fatigue

In March, a banner appeared over a narrow alleyway in Naples’ Spanish Quarter, a popular area lined with shops selling traditional Nativity figurines. The message was clear: the city no longer supports the hit television crime drama 'Gomorrah.'

The target of this local sentiment is the new prequel series 'Gomorrah: Origins,' which recently began filming in the same gritty neighborhood. The show traces the 1970s beginnings of the Camorra crime syndicate, the central focus of the original series.

'Gomorrah' has become one of the most persistent cultural associations with Naples, Italy’s third-largest city. It originated as Roberto Saviano’s 2006 nonfiction bestseller exposing the Neapolitan mafia, followed by a critically acclaimed film in 2008. The television adaptation premiered in 2014 and ran for five seasons. Since then, two additional movies were released in 2019—a spinoff titled 'The Immortal' and 'Piranhas,' based on Saviano’s novel about teenage crime bosses—and now, the prequel series continues the saga.

This continued focus on organized crime has led some Neapolitans to voice their exhaustion.

“They filmed the first series, then the second. Enough is enough,” said Gennaro Di Virgilio, who manages a family-run Nativity figurine shop passed down through four generations.

Once seen as too dangerous and corrupt to attract many international visitors, Naples has experienced a significant tourism surge in recent years. The city’s rich history, cuisine, and sunny climate have drawn travelers through social media exposure, helping to soften its once-seedy image. However, challenges such as high youth unemployment and persistent crime continue to affect the area.

Despite this, many locals feel the city remains unfairly branded by the 'Gomorrah' narrative, reducing its diverse population to stereotypes of those involved in the 'malavita,' or criminal underworld.