Entertainment Movies Tim Burton and Monica Bellucci Make Red Carpet Debut as a Couple in Rome The pair held hands on the carpet for the 'Diabolik Chi Sei?' premiere at the 18th Rome Film Festival By Marisa Sullivan Marisa Sullivan Digital News Writer People Editorial Guidelines Published on October 20, 2023 09:46AM EDT Close Tim Burton and Monica Bellucci at the premiere of Diabolik Chi Sei? in Rome on Oct. 19, 2023. Photo: Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty Images Tim Burton and Monica Bellucci are red-carpet official! On Thursday, the director and actress made their debut as a couple at the Diabolik Chi Sei? premiere during the 18th Rome Film Festival, held at Auditorium Parco Della Musica in the Italian capital. Burton, 65, wore a jet-black suit, shirt, tie and shoes, while Bellucci, 59, opted for a floor-length, off-the-shoulder gown in dark gray. She wore her hair down in a sleek blowout, her bangs grazing her smokey eyes. Holding hands for one of their carpet shots together, the pair posed for the camera in their dark-colored ensembles. In another snap, Burton had his arm placed affectionately placed behind Bellucci's back as he smiled, wearing his signature black-framed eyeglasses. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human-interest stories. Tim Burton and Monica Bellucci at the premiere of Diabolik Chi Sei? in Rome on Oct. 19, 2023. Stefania D'Alessandro/Getty Images Monica Bellucci Confirms Relationship with Her 'Beetlejuice 2' Director Tim Burton: 'I Love Him' Speaking for the first time about their romance in June after months of rumors, Bellucci confirmed the news to Elle France, revealing her love for the filmmaker and how she is "happy" to have met him. “What I can say … I’m glad I met the man, first of all,” said the Mafia Mamma actress. “It's one of those encounters that rarely happens in life ... I know the man, I love him, and now I'm going to meet the director, another adventure begins." The couple were working together on Beetlejuice 2 in London at the time, with Burton directing the highly anticipated follow-up to his 1988 horror-comedy film. "I love Tim," Bellucci continued. “And I have great respect for Tim Burton." Monica Bellucci and Tim Burton at the premiere of Diabolik Chi Sei? in Rome on Oct. 19, 2023. Ernesto Ruscio/Getty Images Michael Keaton Says 'Beetlejuice 2' Is ‘Most Fun I've Had Working in a Movie' in a Long Time "I love this dream world where the monsters are kind, like we can turn our darker aspects into something bright, forgiving,” she added to Elle France. "Tim Burton's films talk about that a lot." After The Hollywood Reporter shared that Bellucci had been cast in Beetlejuice 2, PEOPLE confirmed the film would hit theaters on Sept. 6, 2024. The former Bond girl — who will portray the wife of the title character, played once again by Michael Keaton — and Burton met briefly on the red carpet of the 2006 Cannes Film Festival. The duo were photographed arm-in-arm in Madrid back in February. They also appeared together at the Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, France, in October 2022, when Bellucci presented Burton with the festival's lifetime achievement Lumière Award.