Benigni may star in Ballaro' season opener

New host Giannini up against predecessor Floris, on LA7

(ANSA) - Rome, September 7 - The new season opener of Ballaro' talk show may well star Oscar-winner Roberto Benigni, sources close to the director said Wednesday. The sides are said to be in the process of working out a deal for the multi-award-winning actor, comedian, screenwriter and director to appear in an interview format at the heart of the one and a half hour program. If confirmed, this would be a coup for new host Massimo Giannini, who replaces Giovanni Floris on the long-running weekly talk show that has been on air on public broadcaster RAI 3 since 2002.

Floris quit after 12 years at the helm of the successful show, "defecting" to private channel LA7, which reportedly more than doubled his three-year RAI salary of 1.8 million euros. His new show Dimartedi' debuts on the same night in the same slot as Giannini's Ballaro', on Tuesday September 16.