Una Poltrona per Due to hit Italian cinemas in December.

Trading Places, the American comedy starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd, returns to the big screen in Italy four decades after its release in Italian cinemas.

The role-reversal classic, a 20th-century take on the tale of the rich man and the poor man, has been aired on Italian television every Christmas since 1997, with the exception of 2005.

This year cinemas in Italy will screen the restored 4K version of the John Landis movie in the lead-up to the holiday season, on 9, 10 and 11 December.

• Trading Places: An unexpected Christmas tradition in Italy

For those who can't make it to the cinema, the film - known in Italy as Una Poltrona per Due - will be shown by Italia 1 on 24 December as per tradition.

Despite being screened in Italy every Christmas Eve, public approval for the dubbed movie remains consistently high, with more than two million viewers tuning in to watch it last year.