Martin Scorsese, Jane Campion and Wes Anderson are among the signees of an appeal to stave off the impending threat that a substantial portion of Rome's movie theaters could be converted into shopping centers and supermarkets under proposed regional legislation.

Steven Spielberg on Monday joined a drive led by Martin Scorsese and other creative greats to save Rome's cultural spaces and especially cinemas from being turned into malls, supermarkets and hotels.