For decades, Diabolik – a character created by the Giussani sisters in 1962 – has been a sort of forbidden fruit for directors and international producers. The rights holders kept the series well under wraps, preventing the exploits of Italy's most famous thief from making it to the big screen. This conservative approach to guarding the series was a result of the 1968 film directed by Mario Bava, which was perceived to have betrayed the spirit of the original. Eventually, the Manetti Bros. broke through and acquired the rights, promising that they would be faithful to the original series.