Anamaria Vartolomei, the breakout star of Audrey Diwan’s Venice prizewinning “Happening,” is under the spotlight at this year’s Cannes Film Festival playing strong women in a pair of movies, “Being Maria” and “The Count Monte Cristo.” Both movies are supported by Chanel for which Vartolomei is an ambassador.
Vartolomei says since starring in Diwan’s drama “Happening,” which was set in the 1960s and centered around the then-illegal act of abortion, she has continued being lured to demanding roles with political and social themes.
“I think movies are the expressions of my engagements as a woman, and as such I often star in films that are engaged because when you’re an actress you contribute to change and we must continue to wage this battle that other women have led before,” says Vartolomei, who was wearing a glamorous dark khaki and black silk jacquard muslin dress by Chanel.
Vartolomei says since starring in Diwan’s drama “Happening,” which was set in the 1960s and centered around the then-illegal act of abortion, she has continued being lured to demanding roles with political and social themes.
“I think movies are the expressions of my engagements as a woman, and as such I often star in films that are engaged because when you’re an actress you contribute to change and we must continue to wage this battle that other women have led before,” says Vartolomei, who was wearing a glamorous dark khaki and black silk jacquard muslin dress by Chanel.
- 5/24/2024
- by Selena Kuznikov and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
If you took Magnolia, Goodfellas, Boyz n the Hood and perhaps Claude Lelouch’s A Man and a Woman, plugged them all into the latest version of ChatGPT and asked it to spit out a brand new film, you could wind up with something like Gilles Lellouche’s (no relation to Claude) swooning French crime romance, Beating Hearts (L’Amour ouf).
A hodgepodge of movie clichés and overwrought scenes, directed with zero tact and plenty of pounding needle drops, actor-turned-director Lellouche’s third stab at the helm after his rather likeable ensemble comedy, Sink or Swim, is less a disappointment than a serious assault on the viewer’s intelligence. The fact that it premiered in Cannes’ competition, rather than in a sidebar “Première” slot, speaks to the general level of one of the festival’s weakest main slates in recent memory.
Sink or Swim was a major hit in France that grossed $40 million,...
A hodgepodge of movie clichés and overwrought scenes, directed with zero tact and plenty of pounding needle drops, actor-turned-director Lellouche’s third stab at the helm after his rather likeable ensemble comedy, Sink or Swim, is less a disappointment than a serious assault on the viewer’s intelligence. The fact that it premiered in Cannes’ competition, rather than in a sidebar “Première” slot, speaks to the general level of one of the festival’s weakest main slates in recent memory.
Sink or Swim was a major hit in France that grossed $40 million,...
- 5/23/2024
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
When New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael wrote a long and heated rave of Bernardo Bertolucci’s Last Tango in Paris after its premiere in 1972, she stated, among other things, that “this is a movie people will be arguing about for as long as there are movies.”
Kael may have been overdoing it when she stressed Last Tango‘s monumental importance, claiming it was a “movie breakthrough” and that it “altered the face of the art form.” But in terms of people arguing years later about the film’s legacy, she was spot-on.
Case in point: Being Maria, a new biopic of tormented French actress Maria Schneider, who at age 19 starred opposite Marlon Brando in the Bertolucci movie — a feat that launched her career as a promising new international actress while destroying her life at the same time.
The reasons for this are well known, and resurfaced over the past...
Kael may have been overdoing it when she stressed Last Tango‘s monumental importance, claiming it was a “movie breakthrough” and that it “altered the face of the art form.” But in terms of people arguing years later about the film’s legacy, she was spot-on.
Case in point: Being Maria, a new biopic of tormented French actress Maria Schneider, who at age 19 starred opposite Marlon Brando in the Bertolucci movie — a feat that launched her career as a promising new international actress while destroying her life at the same time.
The reasons for this are well known, and resurfaced over the past...
- 5/22/2024
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The "John Wick" universe is continuing to expand, with or without Keanu Reeves. Lionsgate has announced that a new spin-off set within the world of the beloved action franchise is on the way. This one will focus on Donnie Yen's blind assassin character Caine, who was introduced in last year's "John Wick: Chapter 4." While much about the film remains under wraps for the time being, it will pay off a subplot that was previously teased by director Chad Stahelski.
According to Variety, Yen will star in the currently untitled spin-off film, with Robert Askins ("The Umbrella Academy") set to pen the screenplay. Production is due to begin next year in Hong Kong. The new spin-off is said to "continue Yen's story arc following the events of 'John Wick: Chapter 4,' as Caine has been freed from his obligations to the High Table." Yen had this to...
According to Variety, Yen will star in the currently untitled spin-off film, with Robert Askins ("The Umbrella Academy") set to pen the screenplay. Production is due to begin next year in Hong Kong. The new spin-off is said to "continue Yen's story arc following the events of 'John Wick: Chapter 4,' as Caine has been freed from his obligations to the High Table." Yen had this to...
- 5/15/2024
- by Ryan Scott
- Slash Film
Audrey Diwan is attached to direct “The Marriage Portrait,” based on the novel by award-winning Northern Irish writer Maggie O’Farrell, best known for “Hamnet.”
Variety hears that the project will see the fast-rising French auteur team with two of Europe’s leading arthouse producers in Ireland’s Element Pictures (which has three films in Cannes’ official selection this year) and Italy’s Wildside (which has competition title “Limonov: The Ballad”). Film4 helped develop the feature.
Set in 1500s Renaissance Florence, “The Marriage Portrait” — which was published in 2022 — follows the fictional tale of young duchess Lucrezia de’ Medici, a sheltered 16-year-old who has spent her life locked inside the city’s grandest palazzo. But when her husband takes her on an unexpected visit to a country villa, it occurs to her that he has a sinister purpose — he intends to kill her.
Diwan, who has just completed the post-production of her...
Variety hears that the project will see the fast-rising French auteur team with two of Europe’s leading arthouse producers in Ireland’s Element Pictures (which has three films in Cannes’ official selection this year) and Italy’s Wildside (which has competition title “Limonov: The Ballad”). Film4 helped develop the feature.
Set in 1500s Renaissance Florence, “The Marriage Portrait” — which was published in 2022 — follows the fictional tale of young duchess Lucrezia de’ Medici, a sheltered 16-year-old who has spent her life locked inside the city’s grandest palazzo. But when her husband takes her on an unexpected visit to a country villa, it occurs to her that he has a sinister purpose — he intends to kill her.
Diwan, who has just completed the post-production of her...
- 5/14/2024
- by Alex Ritman and Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Studiocanal has unveiled an exclusive first-look still of Matt Dillon and Anamaria Vartolomei (“Happening”) starring as Marlon Brando and Maria Schneider in Jessica Palud’s movie “Maria,” which is slated to bow at the Cannes Film Festival.
Palud’s film sheds light on the tragic life of Maria Schneider, who starred opposite Marlon Brando in Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Tango in Paris” at the age of 19 and never recovered from the shoot. The film depicts how Schneider was imposed an un-simulated rape scene on the set of “The Last Tango in Paris” by Bertolucci and Brando.
“Maria,” the only movie directed by a female filmmaker that’s set for Cannes Premiere, is based on “Tu t’appelais Maria Schneider,” a book written by Vanessa Schneider, the actress’ cousin. Haut et Court, the banner behind the Cesar-winning movie “The Night of the 12th,” will release “Maria” in French theaters on...
Palud’s film sheds light on the tragic life of Maria Schneider, who starred opposite Marlon Brando in Bernardo Bertolucci’s “The Last Tango in Paris” at the age of 19 and never recovered from the shoot. The film depicts how Schneider was imposed an un-simulated rape scene on the set of “The Last Tango in Paris” by Bertolucci and Brando.
“Maria,” the only movie directed by a female filmmaker that’s set for Cannes Premiere, is based on “Tu t’appelais Maria Schneider,” a book written by Vanessa Schneider, the actress’ cousin. Haut et Court, the banner behind the Cesar-winning movie “The Night of the 12th,” will release “Maria” in French theaters on...
- 5/10/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Isabelle Huppert will head up the 2024 Venice Film Festival jury this year. Serving as jury president, Huppert will hand out the Golden Lion and other awards when the festival on the Lido concludes. The dates for this year’s edition are August 28 to September 7.
Huppert has never before served as jury president at Venice, but she did at Cannes in 2009, awarding the Palme d’Or to Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon” after deliberations with James Gray, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Asia Argento, Robin Wright, and Lee Chang-dong. Before that she’d served on the jury headed by Dirk Bogarde at Cannes in 1984, which gave the top prize to “Paris, Texas.”
The 71-year-old actress has been a powerhouse force in global cinema for the past 50 years, making her mark in French cinema before quickly appearing in Hollywood productions such as Michael Cimino’s “Heaven’s Gate.” Over the past decade Huppert’s...
Huppert has never before served as jury president at Venice, but she did at Cannes in 2009, awarding the Palme d’Or to Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon” after deliberations with James Gray, Nuri Bilge Ceylan, Asia Argento, Robin Wright, and Lee Chang-dong. Before that she’d served on the jury headed by Dirk Bogarde at Cannes in 1984, which gave the top prize to “Paris, Texas.”
The 71-year-old actress has been a powerhouse force in global cinema for the past 50 years, making her mark in French cinema before quickly appearing in Hollywood productions such as Michael Cimino’s “Heaven’s Gate.” Over the past decade Huppert’s...
- 5/8/2024
- by Christian Blauvelt
- Indiewire
“Emmanuelle,” a new feature from French writer-director Audrey Diwan, will world premiere in competition as the opening film for the 72nd San Sebastian Film Festival, which kicks off on September 20.
Inspired by the eponymous erotic novel by Emmanuelle Arsan, the film tells the story of a woman looking for a lost pleasure. During a business trip to Hong Kong, she meets several new people, including a man named Kei, who constantly eludes her. According to the director, the story was conceived as an exploration of pleasure in the post #MeToo era.
Diwan, a Venice Golden Lion winner for her 2021 film “Happening,” co-wrote “Emmanuelle” with fellow filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski, whose 2013 feature “Grand Central” screened in competition at Cannes and won the François Chalais Award.
Chantelouve, Rectangle Productions and Goodfellas (formerly Wild Bunch) produce. “Emmanuelle” will be distributed by Pathé in France, where it will debut on September 25, and Beta Fiction in Spain.
Inspired by the eponymous erotic novel by Emmanuelle Arsan, the film tells the story of a woman looking for a lost pleasure. During a business trip to Hong Kong, she meets several new people, including a man named Kei, who constantly eludes her. According to the director, the story was conceived as an exploration of pleasure in the post #MeToo era.
Diwan, a Venice Golden Lion winner for her 2021 film “Happening,” co-wrote “Emmanuelle” with fellow filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski, whose 2013 feature “Grand Central” screened in competition at Cannes and won the François Chalais Award.
Chantelouve, Rectangle Productions and Goodfellas (formerly Wild Bunch) produce. “Emmanuelle” will be distributed by Pathé in France, where it will debut on September 25, and Beta Fiction in Spain.
- 5/7/2024
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Audrey Diwan’s Emmanuelle will open the 72nd San Sebastian International Film Festival in competition as a world premiere on September 20.
Naomi Watts, Jamie Campbell Bower, Will Sharpe and Noémie Merlant star in the feature exploring a woman’s erotic fantasies.
Diwan’s previous film Happening premiered at Venice in 2021 where it won both the Golden Lion and the Fipresci prize. It was also nominated for a Bafta and three Cesar awards.
Emmauelle is produced by French outfits Chantelouve, Rectangle Productions and Goodfellas.
More to follow.
Naomi Watts, Jamie Campbell Bower, Will Sharpe and Noémie Merlant star in the feature exploring a woman’s erotic fantasies.
Diwan’s previous film Happening premiered at Venice in 2021 where it won both the Golden Lion and the Fipresci prize. It was also nominated for a Bafta and three Cesar awards.
Emmauelle is produced by French outfits Chantelouve, Rectangle Productions and Goodfellas.
More to follow.
- 5/7/2024
- ScreenDaily
After announcing a whopping number of English-language films in competition, Cannes Film Festival has added some international titles: Michel Hazanavicius’ animated feature “The Most Precious of Cargoes” and Iranian filmmaker Mohammad Rasoulof’s “The Seed of the Sacred Fig,” Variety has learned.
An auteur-driven allegorical feature, “The Most Precious of Cargoes” (first-look still below) is adapted from Jean-Claude Grumberg’s bestselling novel of the same name, set during World War II against the backdrop of the Holocaust. It will be the first animated feature to compete in more than a decade, since Ari Folman’s “Waltz With Bashir” in 2008.
The film is co-produced and represented internationally by Studiocanal, which also has Gilles Lellouche’s “Beating Hearts” in competition. “The Most Precious of Cargoes” is a passion project for Hazanavicius, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “The Artist,” who has been developing the project for years. Hazanavicius penned the script with Grumberg and created the drawings,...
An auteur-driven allegorical feature, “The Most Precious of Cargoes” (first-look still below) is adapted from Jean-Claude Grumberg’s bestselling novel of the same name, set during World War II against the backdrop of the Holocaust. It will be the first animated feature to compete in more than a decade, since Ari Folman’s “Waltz With Bashir” in 2008.
The film is co-produced and represented internationally by Studiocanal, which also has Gilles Lellouche’s “Beating Hearts” in competition. “The Most Precious of Cargoes” is a passion project for Hazanavicius, the Oscar-winning filmmaker behind “The Artist,” who has been developing the project for years. Hazanavicius penned the script with Grumberg and created the drawings,...
- 4/22/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Clare Binns, managing director of Picturehouse Cinemas and Picturehouse Entertainment, is to be presented with Unic’s 2024 achievement award for her dedication to the exhibition of European cinema.
The International Union of Cinemas (Unic) will present the award during the CineEurope awards ceremony on June 20 at the International Barcelona Convention Centre.
Phil Clapp, president of Unic and chief executive of the UK Cinema Association, said: “Clare’s contribution to cinema programming and audience development have been widely recognised, and her leadership continues to shape the industry. The award recognises her incredible passion for the big screen, her outstanding career and...
The International Union of Cinemas (Unic) will present the award during the CineEurope awards ceremony on June 20 at the International Barcelona Convention Centre.
Phil Clapp, president of Unic and chief executive of the UK Cinema Association, said: “Clare’s contribution to cinema programming and audience development have been widely recognised, and her leadership continues to shape the industry. The award recognises her incredible passion for the big screen, her outstanding career and...
- 4/15/2024
- ScreenDaily
Box Office Clash Between Pushpa 2 Vs The Greatest Of All Time Is Not Happening ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
Possibly, the biggest box office clash of the year is going to happen between Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2 and Ajay Devgn’s Singham Again. Both films are carrying immense buzz, with their titular characters enjoying a cult status. Amid this, a few weeks back, some reports suggested that it’s no longer a two-way battle as Thalapathy Vijay has entered the scene with his The Greatest Of All Time. But now, it’s clear that Vijay is out of this competition.
For those who aren’t aware, Vijay is quitting films as he has planned to join full time politics. While it’s truly a shocker for fans and the Tamil film industry, a big relief is that the superstar has a couple of films in the kitty and he’ll complete them...
Possibly, the biggest box office clash of the year is going to happen between Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2 and Ajay Devgn’s Singham Again. Both films are carrying immense buzz, with their titular characters enjoying a cult status. Amid this, a few weeks back, some reports suggested that it’s no longer a two-way battle as Thalapathy Vijay has entered the scene with his The Greatest Of All Time. But now, it’s clear that Vijay is out of this competition.
For those who aren’t aware, Vijay is quitting films as he has planned to join full time politics. While it’s truly a shocker for fans and the Tamil film industry, a big relief is that the superstar has a couple of films in the kitty and he’ll complete them...
- 4/12/2024
- by Shalmesh More
- KoiMoi
Rwandan actress Eliane Umuhire (“Augure by Baloji,” “My New Friends”), French producer Sylvie Pialat (“Timbuktu,” “Staying Vertical”), Belgian cinematographer Virginie Surdej and Canadian film critic, journalist and frequent Variety contributor Ben Croll have been named on the jury for the Critics’ Week section of the Cannes Film Festival.
The four will now join Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen, who last week was named Critics’ Week jury president, with the group set to choose the sidebar competition’s award winners, including the Grand Prize for best feature film, the French Touch Prize of the Jury, the Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star award for best actor or actress and the Leitz Ciné Discovery Prize for best short film.
The 2024 Critics Week lineup is set to be unveiled on April 15, four days after the Cannes official selection is announced on April 11.
Last year, Venice Golden Lion-winning “Happening” director Audrey Diwan presided over a Critics...
The four will now join Spanish filmmaker Rodrigo Sorogoyen, who last week was named Critics’ Week jury president, with the group set to choose the sidebar competition’s award winners, including the Grand Prize for best feature film, the French Touch Prize of the Jury, the Louis Roederer Foundation Rising Star award for best actor or actress and the Leitz Ciné Discovery Prize for best short film.
The 2024 Critics Week lineup is set to be unveiled on April 15, four days after the Cannes official selection is announced on April 11.
Last year, Venice Golden Lion-winning “Happening” director Audrey Diwan presided over a Critics...
- 4/10/2024
- by Alex Ritman
- Variety Film + TV
Kino Lorber has acquired North American distribution rights to Bruno Dumont’s “The Empire,” a sci-fi satire starring Anamaria Vartolomei (“Happening”), Camille Cottin (“Call My Agent!”), Lyna Khoudri (“The Three Musketeers”) and Fabrice Luchini.
“The Empire” just world premiered in competition at the Berlin Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear Jury Prize. The movie marks Dumont’s follow up to “France,” a dark comedy starring Léa Seydoux which competed at the Cannes Film Festival.
Kino Lorber is planning a theatrical release later this year, followed by a home video, educational and digital release on all major platforms. The acquisition of “The Empire” marks the sixth time that Kino Lorber has collaborated with Dumont, with previous releases including “Li’l Quinquin,” “Coincoin and the Extra-Humans,” “Slack Bay,” “Camille Claudel 1915” and, most recently, “France.”
The film is set in a quiet and picturesque fishing village in Northern France, where a special...
“The Empire” just world premiered in competition at the Berlin Film Festival, where it won the Silver Bear Jury Prize. The movie marks Dumont’s follow up to “France,” a dark comedy starring Léa Seydoux which competed at the Cannes Film Festival.
Kino Lorber is planning a theatrical release later this year, followed by a home video, educational and digital release on all major platforms. The acquisition of “The Empire” marks the sixth time that Kino Lorber has collaborated with Dumont, with previous releases including “Li’l Quinquin,” “Coincoin and the Extra-Humans,” “Slack Bay,” “Camille Claudel 1915” and, most recently, “France.”
The film is set in a quiet and picturesque fishing village in Northern France, where a special...
- 3/7/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
At last year’s Cannes Film Festival, Leonardo DiCaprio, Harrison Ford and Scarlett Johansson hit the red carpet to premiere their latest big movies. But Hollywood may have a much lighter presence at the 2024 edition of one of the world’s most notable film festivals.
The culprit is the combination of last year’s actors and writers strikes, which created production delays, as well as a tough economy that’s leading studios to tighten the purse-strings. But there will still be stars on the Croisette, in addition to “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig, who will be presiding over the jury.
Based on intelligence from industry insiders on both sides of the Atlantic, the upcoming edition will have a larger emphasis on European auteurs, along the lines of Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” and Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest,” which were each nominated for five Oscars.
While the...
The culprit is the combination of last year’s actors and writers strikes, which created production delays, as well as a tough economy that’s leading studios to tighten the purse-strings. But there will still be stars on the Croisette, in addition to “Barbie” director Greta Gerwig, who will be presiding over the jury.
Based on intelligence from industry insiders on both sides of the Atlantic, the upcoming edition will have a larger emphasis on European auteurs, along the lines of Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” and Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest,” which were each nominated for five Oscars.
While the...
- 3/4/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Channeling the French approach of having a female protagonist and focusing almost exclusively on her, as seen in films like “Blue is the Warmest Color” and “L'evenement”, Elena Naveriani turns the whole thing on its head, by having a middle-aged, plain-looking woman as her protagonist instead of a gorgeous young woman. Her approach is both refreshing and functions as a kind of meaningful irony regarding cinema standards, in a script based on a 2020 novel by feminist author Tamta Melashvili.
Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
One morning, a 48-year-old shopkeeper named Etero is out foraging wild blackberries near her small Georgian village when the sighting of a blackbird causes her to slip and fall down a ravine. Her near-death experience has her seeing various instances of herself dead, but also makes her contemplate her life, and particularly her single status, despite the fact that she was happy with it until now.
Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry is screening at Osaka Asian Film Festival
One morning, a 48-year-old shopkeeper named Etero is out foraging wild blackberries near her small Georgian village when the sighting of a blackbird causes her to slip and fall down a ravine. Her near-death experience has her seeing various instances of herself dead, but also makes her contemplate her life, and particularly her single status, despite the fact that she was happy with it until now.
- 3/4/2024
- by Panos Kotzathanasis
- AsianMoviePulse
Exclusive: Following their work together on Ted Melfi’s acclaimed coming-of-age drama St. Vincent, Naomi Watts (Feud: Capote vs. The Swans) and Bill Murray (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire) have been set to topline The Friend, an adaptation of Sigrid Nunez’s New York Times bestselling novel, from writer-directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel (Montana Story).
Others set to star in the indie include Sarah Pidgeon (Tiny Beautiful Things), Golden Globe nominee Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians), Emmy winner Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale), and Noma Dumezweni (The Watcher).
David Siegel and Scott McGehee
Winner of the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction, The Friend follows a New York writer in the aftermath of her lifelong friend and mentor’s unexpected death. Thereafter, she’s left to deal with his complicated literary legacy, three eccentric ex-wives — and a massive, brokenhearted Great Dane named Apollo.
Currently in production on the film in New York,...
Others set to star in the indie include Sarah Pidgeon (Tiny Beautiful Things), Golden Globe nominee Constance Wu (Crazy Rich Asians), Emmy winner Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale), and Noma Dumezweni (The Watcher).
David Siegel and Scott McGehee
Winner of the 2018 National Book Award for Fiction, The Friend follows a New York writer in the aftermath of her lifelong friend and mentor’s unexpected death. Thereafter, she’s left to deal with his complicated literary legacy, three eccentric ex-wives — and a massive, brokenhearted Great Dane named Apollo.
Currently in production on the film in New York,...
- 2/26/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Global production giant Fremantle is still hungry. On Tuesday the Bertelsmann-controlled group signed a deal for another major acquisition, entering into a conditional purchase agreement to take control of Asacha Media Group, a private-equity-backed company that owns several high-profile production companies in the U.K., France, and Italy.
The acquisition of Asacha Media Group follows Fremantle’s recent deal to take an 80 percent stake in Singapore-based TV group Beach House Pictures. The investment in the two companies will cost Fremantle parent company Rtl Group $217 million (€200 million), Rtl Group said Tuesday.
Asacha’s production portfolio includes France’s Srab Films, producer of Venice winner Happening and official French Oscar contenders Les Misérables and Saint Omar; Picomedia, producer of hit Italian drama series The Sea Beyond; and British group Red Planet Pictures, known for such series as Death in Paradise and Life on Mars. Other Asacha-owned companies part of the Fremantle...
The acquisition of Asacha Media Group follows Fremantle’s recent deal to take an 80 percent stake in Singapore-based TV group Beach House Pictures. The investment in the two companies will cost Fremantle parent company Rtl Group $217 million (€200 million), Rtl Group said Tuesday.
Asacha’s production portfolio includes France’s Srab Films, producer of Venice winner Happening and official French Oscar contenders Les Misérables and Saint Omar; Picomedia, producer of hit Italian drama series The Sea Beyond; and British group Red Planet Pictures, known for such series as Death in Paradise and Life on Mars. Other Asacha-owned companies part of the Fremantle...
- 2/20/2024
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Playing his signature brand of rural French absurdity in stark counterpoint to the grandiose strains of a space opera, Bruno Dumont returns with The Empire: his Barbarella bourguignon, his dijionnaise Dune. The Empire is the story of two warring factions: one whose mothership resembles the palace of Versailles; the other’s as if someone glued together two Notre Dames, crypt to crypt. It follows their envoys on earth, now in human form and attempting to capture a toddler who they believe to be the Chosen One––whose mere presence makes them bow down like bodies in rigor mortis. There are blasé beheadings with lightsabers, a group of men on Boulonnais horses who call themselves the Knights of Wain, and, for no apparent reason, the commandant (Bernard Pruvost) and lieutenant (Philippe Jore) from P’tit Quinquin.
If that all sounds like a mixed bag it’s probably because The Empire is...
If that all sounds like a mixed bag it’s probably because The Empire is...
- 2/19/2024
- by Rory O'Connor
- The Film Stage
Out of the many movies you could imagine emerging from the mind of French auteur Bruno Dumont, a Star Wars parody was probably somewhere at the bottom of the list.
And yet it’s been some time since the Cannes Grand Jury Prize laureate, who broke out in the late 90s with viscerally stylized, hard-hitting works of Gallic realism like The Life of Jesus and Humanity, has strayed far from his gritty roots towards a brand of accentuated arthouse satire.
His latest effort, the sci-fi farce The Empire (L’Empire), definitely fits the latter mold, although it’s loaded with enough VFX, light saber battles, spacecrafts and prophecies to give George Lucas a run for his money. That is, if Lucas decided to set the next Star Wars in a sleepy northern French city, used a local mechanic to play one of the leads and tossed in a few flagrant sex scenes,...
And yet it’s been some time since the Cannes Grand Jury Prize laureate, who broke out in the late 90s with viscerally stylized, hard-hitting works of Gallic realism like The Life of Jesus and Humanity, has strayed far from his gritty roots towards a brand of accentuated arthouse satire.
His latest effort, the sci-fi farce The Empire (L’Empire), definitely fits the latter mold, although it’s loaded with enough VFX, light saber battles, spacecrafts and prophecies to give George Lucas a run for his money. That is, if Lucas decided to set the next Star Wars in a sleepy northern French city, used a local mechanic to play one of the leads and tossed in a few flagrant sex scenes,...
- 2/18/2024
- by Jordan Mintzer
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive), Tye Sheridan (Ready Player One), Michael Imperioli (The White Lotus) and Norman Reedus (The Walking Dead franchise) have signed on to star in The Housewife, a psychological drama from first-time feature filmmaker Ben Shirinian that is launching foreign sales at EFM via Neon International.
Based on a true story from 1964, the film follows a determined young New York Times journalist (Sheridan) as he tracks down a potential Nazi officer living secretly in Queens. When he befriends the suspect’s elegant and charming wife (Watts), the implications of his investigation become much more unsettling.
Robbie Brenner, Kevin McKeon (Call Jane), and Lee Broda (May December) are producing alongside EP Alyssa Hill, who also penned the script. CAA Media Finance is repping domestic rights. Production is set to commence in June.
Currently starring as socialite Babe Paley in Ryan Murphy’s Feud: Capote vs. The Swans,...
Based on a true story from 1964, the film follows a determined young New York Times journalist (Sheridan) as he tracks down a potential Nazi officer living secretly in Queens. When he befriends the suspect’s elegant and charming wife (Watts), the implications of his investigation become much more unsettling.
Robbie Brenner, Kevin McKeon (Call Jane), and Lee Broda (May December) are producing alongside EP Alyssa Hill, who also penned the script. CAA Media Finance is repping domestic rights. Production is set to commence in June.
Currently starring as socialite Babe Paley in Ryan Murphy’s Feud: Capote vs. The Swans,...
- 2/7/2024
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Actor and filmmaker Valérie Donzelli will reteam with her “Just the Two of Us” co-writer Audrey Diwan – a Golden Lion winner with “Happening” – to pen “The Infinite Present Ends,” a literary adaption that Donzelli is slated to direct.
Based on a fictionalized 2015 memoir from psychiatric nurse Mary Dorsan, the text embeds within a teenage psychiatric ward over the course of a year, teasing out the complex bonds, challenges, frustrations and unexpected moments of grace shared between patients and caregivers. Though unflinching in its evocations of violence, the project’s central theme is that of sentimental education, per Donzelli.
“These social workers must find ways to love these children that are not their own,” Donzelli tells Variety. “They must find the right and constructive outlets for that love, so we want to explore this idea of education within the various forms of affection we give.”
Produced by Rectangle Productions, the project...
Based on a fictionalized 2015 memoir from psychiatric nurse Mary Dorsan, the text embeds within a teenage psychiatric ward over the course of a year, teasing out the complex bonds, challenges, frustrations and unexpected moments of grace shared between patients and caregivers. Though unflinching in its evocations of violence, the project’s central theme is that of sentimental education, per Donzelli.
“These social workers must find ways to love these children that are not their own,” Donzelli tells Variety. “They must find the right and constructive outlets for that love, so we want to explore this idea of education within the various forms of affection we give.”
Produced by Rectangle Productions, the project...
- 1/20/2024
- by Ben Croll
- Variety Film + TV
Ginger & Fed, the new international film sales arm of Federation Studios headed by former TF1 Studio boss Sabine Chemaly, will launch several high profile titles at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous, including “The Future Awaits,” Niels Tavernier’s WWII-set drama based on the true story of a Holocaust survivor. Ginger & Fed will also bow sales on “Riviera Revenge,” a heartwarming comedy starring André Dussollier (“The Crime is Mine”), Sabine Azéma (“Tanguy”) and Thierry Lhermitte (“The Dinner Game”), along with continuing deals on “Rachel’s Game,” “Survive” and “Oldies and Goodies.”
Produced by Yves Darondeau at Bonne Pioche Cinema (“March of the Penguins”), “The Future Awaits” tells the story of Tauba Birenbaum, whose testimony was collected in July 1997 to become part of Steven Spielberg’s Institute for Visual History. The film opens in July 1942, during the Vel’ d’Hiv’ Roundup of Jewish families in Paris. 13-year-old Tauba and her parents, who are Polish Jews,...
Produced by Yves Darondeau at Bonne Pioche Cinema (“March of the Penguins”), “The Future Awaits” tells the story of Tauba Birenbaum, whose testimony was collected in July 1997 to become part of Steven Spielberg’s Institute for Visual History. The film opens in July 1942, during the Vel’ d’Hiv’ Roundup of Jewish families in Paris. 13-year-old Tauba and her parents, who are Polish Jews,...
- 1/15/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Sundance turns 40 this year and AMC Networks is celebrating the film festival’s big 4-0 with the release of a curated lineup of dozens of movies that previously debuted at the event, including “Birth/Rebirth,” “Sleeping with Other People,” “Savage Grace” and “Heathers,” for streamer AMC+.
A long-time sponsor of the Sundance Film Festival with roots in indie films through IFC Films and now horror-focused streamer Shudder, whcih is debuting Chris Nash’s “In A Violent Nature” at the fest this year, AMC Networks will be offering the compilation of Sundance movies all through January, in connection with the 2024 edition of the film festival running Jan. 18-28.
“This collection is such a great way to honor the history of the legacy of Sundance bring AMC+ subscribers, who are not going to be in Park City, virtually to the event through this portfolio of such unforgettable films,” chief commercial officer for AMC Networks Kim Kelleher told Variety.
A long-time sponsor of the Sundance Film Festival with roots in indie films through IFC Films and now horror-focused streamer Shudder, whcih is debuting Chris Nash’s “In A Violent Nature” at the fest this year, AMC Networks will be offering the compilation of Sundance movies all through January, in connection with the 2024 edition of the film festival running Jan. 18-28.
“This collection is such a great way to honor the history of the legacy of Sundance bring AMC+ subscribers, who are not going to be in Park City, virtually to the event through this portfolio of such unforgettable films,” chief commercial officer for AMC Networks Kim Kelleher told Variety.
- 1/10/2024
- by Jennifer Maas
- Variety Film + TV
Indie Sales has boarded Nathalie Najem’s “No Way Back,” a timely feature debut tackling domestic violence with a cast led by Bastien Bouillon (“The Night of the 12th”) and Zita Hanrot (“Angry Annie”).
Now in post, “No Way Back” will be introduced to buyers by the banner Indie Sales at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous showcase next week.
“No Way Back” tells the story of Laura, who is rebuilding her life after years under the toxic influence of Joachim and is raising their daughter on her own. When Joachim’s new girlfriend, Shirine, shows up at her door in dire straits, Laura realizes that they must help each other to get rid of Joachim’s harmful influence. The film appears to be in a similar vein as Xavier Legrand’s Venice prizewinner “Custody,” with an emphasis on sisterhood.
Bouillon won last year’s Cesar Award for best male newcomer for his...
Now in post, “No Way Back” will be introduced to buyers by the banner Indie Sales at the Unifrance Rendez-Vous showcase next week.
“No Way Back” tells the story of Laura, who is rebuilding her life after years under the toxic influence of Joachim and is raising their daughter on her own. When Joachim’s new girlfriend, Shirine, shows up at her door in dire straits, Laura realizes that they must help each other to get rid of Joachim’s harmful influence. The film appears to be in a similar vein as Xavier Legrand’s Venice prizewinner “Custody,” with an emphasis on sisterhood.
Bouillon won last year’s Cesar Award for best male newcomer for his...
- 1/8/2024
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Graphic novel adaptation stars stars Cesar-winning actress Izia Higelin
Indie Sales has boarded Blandine Lenoir’s fourth feature Juliette In Spring and will launch sales at Unifrance’s Rendez-Vous in Paris which takes place from January 16-23.
The film, based on Camille Jourdy’s graphic novel, follows a thirty-something woman who returns to her hometown to spend time with her family as buried memories, unspoken truths and long-buried secrets bubble up to the surface in what Indie Sales calls “a sweet, tender and sometimes extravagant family portrait.”
The film stars Cesar-winning actress Izia Higelin in the titular role alongside a...
Indie Sales has boarded Blandine Lenoir’s fourth feature Juliette In Spring and will launch sales at Unifrance’s Rendez-Vous in Paris which takes place from January 16-23.
The film, based on Camille Jourdy’s graphic novel, follows a thirty-something woman who returns to her hometown to spend time with her family as buried memories, unspoken truths and long-buried secrets bubble up to the surface in what Indie Sales calls “a sweet, tender and sometimes extravagant family portrait.”
The film stars Cesar-winning actress Izia Higelin in the titular role alongside a...
- 1/5/2024
- by Rebecca Leffler
- ScreenDaily
Two-time Oscar nominee Naomi Watts has joined the cast of “Emmanuelle,” Audrey Diwan’s highly anticipated erotic drama, Variety has confirmed.
Diwan’s follow-up to the Venice-prizewinning “Happening,” the film is inspired by Emmanuelle Arsan’s novel and is based on a script co-developed by Diwan and Rebecca Zlotowski (“Other People’s Children”). The book centers on a woman and the series of erotic fantasies that she entertains. It was previously made into a 1974 film of the same name, directed by Just Jaeckin and starring Sylvia Kristel, which became a cult hit.
Watts revealed the news when she posted a now-deleted Instagram Story with “Emmanuelle” co-star Noemie Merlant, a critically acclaimed French actor who broke through in Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and made her English-speaking debut in Todd Field’s Oscar-nominated film “Tar.” Merlant plays the titular role in “Emmanuelle.” The rest of the cast comprises...
Diwan’s follow-up to the Venice-prizewinning “Happening,” the film is inspired by Emmanuelle Arsan’s novel and is based on a script co-developed by Diwan and Rebecca Zlotowski (“Other People’s Children”). The book centers on a woman and the series of erotic fantasies that she entertains. It was previously made into a 1974 film of the same name, directed by Just Jaeckin and starring Sylvia Kristel, which became a cult hit.
Watts revealed the news when she posted a now-deleted Instagram Story with “Emmanuelle” co-star Noemie Merlant, a critically acclaimed French actor who broke through in Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and made her English-speaking debut in Todd Field’s Oscar-nominated film “Tar.” Merlant plays the titular role in “Emmanuelle.” The rest of the cast comprises...
- 12/19/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: The success of Audrey Diwan’s sophomore feature Happening made her next gig as a filmmaker an intriguing one. Her choice of project, created even more intrigue.
As we first revealed last year, that project is English-language debut Emmanuelle, inspired by the character and world created by writer Emmanuelle Arsan, whose 1967 novel of the same name was adapted into the lucrative and cult 1970s soft-core movie starring Sylvia Kristel.
Diwan’s adaptation deviates from that earlier movie and from the source material. We confirmed casting and production details about the movie this morning here, including a first-look image of star Noémie Merlant.
Plot details have been kept under wraps, though Diwan told us last year that the contemporary movie will take place in a luxury hotel where Emmanuelle (Merlant) works and that it will “explore her quest for pleasure”. Unlike the original movie, this film will see its protagonist...
As we first revealed last year, that project is English-language debut Emmanuelle, inspired by the character and world created by writer Emmanuelle Arsan, whose 1967 novel of the same name was adapted into the lucrative and cult 1970s soft-core movie starring Sylvia Kristel.
Diwan’s adaptation deviates from that earlier movie and from the source material. We confirmed casting and production details about the movie this morning here, including a first-look image of star Noémie Merlant.
Plot details have been kept under wraps, though Diwan told us last year that the contemporary movie will take place in a luxury hotel where Emmanuelle (Merlant) works and that it will “explore her quest for pleasure”. Unlike the original movie, this film will see its protagonist...
- 12/19/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: Production has wrapped in Paris on Audrey Diwan’s (Happening) anticipated erotic drama Emmanuelle, which stars Noémie Merlant (Portrait Of A Lady On Fire) in the title role.
We can reveal an exclusive first look at the English-language movie, which will also star two-time Oscar nominee Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive) opposite Merlant, Will Sharpe (The White Lotus) as the male lead, Jamie Campbell Bower (Stranger Things), Chacha Huang (Money Heist) and Anthony Wong (Infernal Affairs).
Inspired by the character and world created by writer Emmanuelle Arsan, the film shot in Hong Kong and Paris from a script co-written with Rebecca Zlotowski (Other People’s Children).
Plot details are being kept under wraps but Diwan’s film will deviate from the lucrative and cult 1977 movie adaptation of Arsan’s novel, which starred Sylvia Kristel as the wife of a French diplomat in Bangkok who embarks on a voyage of sexual discovery.
We can reveal an exclusive first look at the English-language movie, which will also star two-time Oscar nominee Naomi Watts (Mulholland Drive) opposite Merlant, Will Sharpe (The White Lotus) as the male lead, Jamie Campbell Bower (Stranger Things), Chacha Huang (Money Heist) and Anthony Wong (Infernal Affairs).
Inspired by the character and world created by writer Emmanuelle Arsan, the film shot in Hong Kong and Paris from a script co-written with Rebecca Zlotowski (Other People’s Children).
Plot details are being kept under wraps but Diwan’s film will deviate from the lucrative and cult 1977 movie adaptation of Arsan’s novel, which starred Sylvia Kristel as the wife of a French diplomat in Bangkok who embarks on a voyage of sexual discovery.
- 12/19/2023
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” missed out on being chosen as France’s Oscar entry, but the movie has been a critical and commercial hit — including in the U.S., where it’s become the highest-grossing specialized foreign-language release post-pandemic, according to distributor Neon.
Released in the States on Oct. 13, “Anatomy of a Fall” has pulled in $3.5 million so far, putting it ahead of Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World” and on track to match last year’s Palme d’Or winner “Triangle of Sadness,” another Neon movie.
A courtroom drama exploring the collapse of a marriage, “Anatomy of a Fall” stars Sandra Huller (“The Zone of Interest”) as a novelist who is put on trial following the mysterious death of her husband, and sees her son being called to the witness stand.
The film’s international box office total currently sits at $22 million. In France,...
Released in the States on Oct. 13, “Anatomy of a Fall” has pulled in $3.5 million so far, putting it ahead of Joachim Trier’s “The Worst Person in the World” and on track to match last year’s Palme d’Or winner “Triangle of Sadness,” another Neon movie.
A courtroom drama exploring the collapse of a marriage, “Anatomy of a Fall” stars Sandra Huller (“The Zone of Interest”) as a novelist who is put on trial following the mysterious death of her husband, and sees her son being called to the witness stand.
The film’s international box office total currently sits at $22 million. In France,...
- 12/7/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
The Edinburgh International Film Festival has tapped Picturehouse Entertainment head of acquisitions Paul Ridd as its new director.
Ridd will join in December. His first festival, the event’s 77th anniversary, will take place in August 2024, with specific dates to be announced.
The festival returned for its 76th edition earlier this year following financial difficulties. It was led by Kate Taylor, who took over from Kristy Matheson who became the new director of the BFI London Film Festival. Taylor did not apply for the position again.
As director, Ridd will be responsible for creating, developing and running the business, implementing the fundraising strategy, and delivering a budget and a multi-year plan for the festival. In addition, he will work collaboratively with the board to lead the organization’s overall strategic direction and sustainability, develop the strategy and vision and build a new and dynamic team.
During Ridd’s tenure at Picturehouse,...
Ridd will join in December. His first festival, the event’s 77th anniversary, will take place in August 2024, with specific dates to be announced.
The festival returned for its 76th edition earlier this year following financial difficulties. It was led by Kate Taylor, who took over from Kristy Matheson who became the new director of the BFI London Film Festival. Taylor did not apply for the position again.
As director, Ridd will be responsible for creating, developing and running the business, implementing the fundraising strategy, and delivering a budget and a multi-year plan for the festival. In addition, he will work collaboratively with the board to lead the organization’s overall strategic direction and sustainability, develop the strategy and vision and build a new and dynamic team.
During Ridd’s tenure at Picturehouse,...
- 11/15/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
Paul Ridd, a long-term acquisitions exec at Picturehouse Cinemas, has been named director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival (Eiff).
Ridd joins Edinburgh in December from his current role as head of acquisitions at Picturehouse. His first edition — the festival’s 77th anniversary — will take place in August 2024. He takes over from Kate Taylor, who quietly left the festival after leading this year’s smaller, one-off edition as part of the city’s wider cultural festival.
As director, Ridd will be responsible for creating, developing, and running the business, implementing the fundraising strategy, and delivering a budget and a multi-year plan for the festival. In addition, he will work collaboratively with the board to lead the organization’s overall strategic direction and sustainability, develop the strategy and vision, and build a new team.
Picturehouse releases during Ridd’s time at the company included Francis Lee’s God’s Own Country, Audrey Diwan’s Happening,...
Ridd joins Edinburgh in December from his current role as head of acquisitions at Picturehouse. His first edition — the festival’s 77th anniversary — will take place in August 2024. He takes over from Kate Taylor, who quietly left the festival after leading this year’s smaller, one-off edition as part of the city’s wider cultural festival.
As director, Ridd will be responsible for creating, developing, and running the business, implementing the fundraising strategy, and delivering a budget and a multi-year plan for the festival. In addition, he will work collaboratively with the board to lead the organization’s overall strategic direction and sustainability, develop the strategy and vision, and build a new team.
Picturehouse releases during Ridd’s time at the company included Francis Lee’s God’s Own Country, Audrey Diwan’s Happening,...
- 11/15/2023
- by Zac Ntim
- Deadline Film + TV
Neon is circling U.S. rights to Audrey Diwan’s English-language debut, “Emmanuelle,” an erotic drama that started filming in September in Paris with Noemie Merlant starring in the titular role.
The film is inspired by Emmanuelle Arsan’s novel and is based on a script co-developed by Diwan and Rebecca Zlotowski (“Other People’s Children”). The book centers on a woman and the series of erotic fantasies that she entertains. It was previously made into a 1974 film of the same name, directed by Just Jaeckin, and starring Sylvia Kristel. That film developed as a cult hit.
Diwan is best known for her sophomore outing, “Happening,” which received critical raves and won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. “Happening” tells the story of a woman obtaining an illegal abortion in the 1960s. After its Venice premiere, the film went on to win the César Award for best female newcomer...
The film is inspired by Emmanuelle Arsan’s novel and is based on a script co-developed by Diwan and Rebecca Zlotowski (“Other People’s Children”). The book centers on a woman and the series of erotic fantasies that she entertains. It was previously made into a 1974 film of the same name, directed by Just Jaeckin, and starring Sylvia Kristel. That film developed as a cult hit.
Diwan is best known for her sophomore outing, “Happening,” which received critical raves and won the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. “Happening” tells the story of a woman obtaining an illegal abortion in the 1960s. After its Venice premiere, the film went on to win the César Award for best female newcomer...
- 11/2/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Paris-based genre special WTFilms has boarded Alexandre Bustillo & Julien Maury’s horror thriller ‘The Soul Eater’ ahead of the AFM.
The chilling drama unfolds against the backdrop of a mountain village where an old legend about a malevolent creature resurfaces following the disappearance of local children and a series of violent and gruesome deaths.
Virginie Ledoyen (Just the Two of Us) and Paul Hamy (The Last Journey) co-star as two police detectives with very different methods who are sent to investigate the crimes. Sandrine Bonnaire (Happening) joins them in the cast.
The production is adapted from French writer Alexis Laipsker’s bestseller of the same name. WTFilms will screen a first promo for the French-language film which is in post-production.
Directorial duo Bustillo and Maury gained fans in the U.S. for their 2021 English-language supernatural horror The Deep House, which was acquired by Blumhouse Television and Epix for North America,...
The chilling drama unfolds against the backdrop of a mountain village where an old legend about a malevolent creature resurfaces following the disappearance of local children and a series of violent and gruesome deaths.
Virginie Ledoyen (Just the Two of Us) and Paul Hamy (The Last Journey) co-star as two police detectives with very different methods who are sent to investigate the crimes. Sandrine Bonnaire (Happening) joins them in the cast.
The production is adapted from French writer Alexis Laipsker’s bestseller of the same name. WTFilms will screen a first promo for the French-language film which is in post-production.
Directorial duo Bustillo and Maury gained fans in the U.S. for their 2021 English-language supernatural horror The Deep House, which was acquired by Blumhouse Television and Epix for North America,...
- 10/26/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
There have been many attempts to adapt Alexandre Dumas’ beloved swash-buckling story to the big screen. From Disney’s The Three Musketeers to Paul W.S. Anderson’s The Three Musketeers to the D’Artagnan solo story, The Musketeer, Alexandre Dumas’ tale has been told again and again. However, Samuel-Goldwyn Films and Pathé are attempting to tell the story with a faithful adaptation that will take two movies to convey. The new trailer for the French historical epic, The Three Musketeers: Part I – D’Artagnan, has now been unveiled.
The official synopsis from Samuel-Goldwyn Films and Pathé reads,
“In the first entry, D’Artagnan, a spirited young Gascon, is left for dead after trying to save a young woman from being kidnapped. When he arrives in Paris, he tries to find his attackers. He is unaware that his quest will lead him to the heart of a real war where the future of France is at stake.
The official synopsis from Samuel-Goldwyn Films and Pathé reads,
“In the first entry, D’Artagnan, a spirited young Gascon, is left for dead after trying to save a young woman from being kidnapped. When he arrives in Paris, he tries to find his attackers. He is unaware that his quest will lead him to the heart of a real war where the future of France is at stake.
- 10/20/2023
- by EJ Tangonan
- JoBlo.com
Cyril Metzger and Manon Clavel are set to star in Netflix’s upcoming hotel period drama “Winter Palace.”
Metzger (“Happening”) will play André Morel while Clavel (“The Truth”) is set to star as Rose. Together they portray an ambitious married couple who are running the hotel at the centre of the show.
Simon Ludders (“Bridgerton”) plays ambitious aristocrat Lord Fairfax, whose dream is to turn the hotel in a winter holiday destination.
Also joining the cast are Astrid Roos as Lady Isobel, Henry Pettigrew as Sir Conan Doyle, “Vikings” hero Clive Standen as Lance Raney, Vincent Heneine as Chef Voclain and Axel Granberger as Marcus.
Swiss stars Alix Henzelin, Antoine Basler, Gaspard Boesch, Roland Vouilloz, Serge Musy and Karim Barras round out the cast.
“Winter Palace” is set to start filming in the Swiss resort towns of Montreux and Valais this month and is scheduled to wrap next spring.
The eight-episode period extravaganza,...
Metzger (“Happening”) will play André Morel while Clavel (“The Truth”) is set to star as Rose. Together they portray an ambitious married couple who are running the hotel at the centre of the show.
Simon Ludders (“Bridgerton”) plays ambitious aristocrat Lord Fairfax, whose dream is to turn the hotel in a winter holiday destination.
Also joining the cast are Astrid Roos as Lady Isobel, Henry Pettigrew as Sir Conan Doyle, “Vikings” hero Clive Standen as Lance Raney, Vincent Heneine as Chef Voclain and Axel Granberger as Marcus.
Swiss stars Alix Henzelin, Antoine Basler, Gaspard Boesch, Roland Vouilloz, Serge Musy and Karim Barras round out the cast.
“Winter Palace” is set to start filming in the Swiss resort towns of Montreux and Valais this month and is scheduled to wrap next spring.
The eight-episode period extravaganza,...
- 10/18/2023
- by K.J. Yossman
- Variety Film + TV
A group of 200 internationally renowned writers, publishers, directors and producers have signed an open letter sounding the alarm over the implications of AI for human creativity.
“Several generative models of language and images have recently appeared in the public and private domains; they are developing at breakneck speed, accessible to all for any task which involves writing and creating,” read the letter, published online on Tuesday.
“These models are shaping a world where, little by little, creation can do without human beings, thereby hastening the automation of many creative and intellectual professions formerly deemed inaccessible to mechanization.”
The letter, initiated by European translation professionals under the banner of “Collective For Human Translation – In Flesh And Blood”, comes amid growing concern about the impact of generative AI technology on professionals working in the creative industries.
Signatories from the literary world included Nobel Prize-winning author Annie Ernaux (Happening) as well as best-selling...
“Several generative models of language and images have recently appeared in the public and private domains; they are developing at breakneck speed, accessible to all for any task which involves writing and creating,” read the letter, published online on Tuesday.
“These models are shaping a world where, little by little, creation can do without human beings, thereby hastening the automation of many creative and intellectual professions formerly deemed inaccessible to mechanization.”
The letter, initiated by European translation professionals under the banner of “Collective For Human Translation – In Flesh And Blood”, comes amid growing concern about the impact of generative AI technology on professionals working in the creative industries.
Signatories from the literary world included Nobel Prize-winning author Annie Ernaux (Happening) as well as best-selling...
- 10/3/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
In a surprising twist of events, France’s Oscar committee has chosen the culinary romance “The Taste of Things” over “Anatomy of a Fall,” Justine Triet’s Palme d’Or winning film, to represent the country in the international feature film race.
“The Taste of Things” (previously titled “The Pot-au-Feu”) won best director at Cannes for French-Vietnamese filmmaker Trần Anh Hùng. Starring Juliette Binoche and Benoit Magimel, the period movie was bought by IFC Films and Sapan Studios.
“Anatomy of a Fall,” meanwhile, was acquired by Neon, the Oscar-maker behind “Parasite,” at Cannes. The movie has been thriving at the French box office with approximately 8 million euros grossed from nearly 1 million admissions. It’s one of the biggest B.O. scores for a Palme d’Or winning film in France in years.
Neon will release “Anatomy of a Fall” in the U.S. on Oct. 13 and is still committed to...
“The Taste of Things” (previously titled “The Pot-au-Feu”) won best director at Cannes for French-Vietnamese filmmaker Trần Anh Hùng. Starring Juliette Binoche and Benoit Magimel, the period movie was bought by IFC Films and Sapan Studios.
“Anatomy of a Fall,” meanwhile, was acquired by Neon, the Oscar-maker behind “Parasite,” at Cannes. The movie has been thriving at the French box office with approximately 8 million euros grossed from nearly 1 million admissions. It’s one of the biggest B.O. scores for a Palme d’Or winning film in France in years.
Neon will release “Anatomy of a Fall” in the U.S. on Oct. 13 and is still committed to...
- 9/21/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy and Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Indie studios IFC Films and Neon are facing off with the hopes of one of their films being selected as France’s official submission to the Oscars for the international feature film prize.
Neon aims to position Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall” as the best option for the country. IFC is making its case for “The Taste of Things” from French-Vietnamese filmmaker Trần Anh Hùn, who won the director prize at Cannes. Both films have eerily similar credentials as they seek to represent the Gallic state at the 95th annual Academy Awards.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
The courtroom drama “Anatomy” was announced as part of the Telluride program, where all four of its screenings were sold out, with dozens of patrons being turned away. “Taste” was not part of the festival’s initial slate announcement. It was one...
Neon aims to position Palme d’Or winner “Anatomy of a Fall” as the best option for the country. IFC is making its case for “The Taste of Things” from French-Vietnamese filmmaker Trần Anh Hùn, who won the director prize at Cannes. Both films have eerily similar credentials as they seek to represent the Gallic state at the 95th annual Academy Awards.
Read: Variety’s Awards Circuit for the latest Oscars predictions in all categories.
The courtroom drama “Anatomy” was announced as part of the Telluride program, where all four of its screenings were sold out, with dozens of patrons being turned away. “Taste” was not part of the festival’s initial slate announcement. It was one...
- 9/4/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
Oscar Race Kicks Off as First Screeners Drop: ‘Air,’ ‘Creed III,’ ‘John Wick 4’ and More (Exclusive)
The Academy Screening Room is now open to all eligible AMPAS members, with the first wave of films uploaded for Oscar consideration for the upcoming awards season.
Nine notable titles are among the films, including Ben Affleck’s “Air” from Amazon Studios, Michael B. Jordan’s “Creed III” from MGM, Kelly Fremon Craig’s “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” and Chad Stahelski’s “John Wick: Chapter 4,” both from Lionsgate.
The Academy performs a heavy vetting process for each film that chooses to submit for consideration. In 2022, nine movies were among the first added to the members’ portal while in 2020, eight films kicked off that season. Historically, over 300 movies are in the running for best picture consideration. Obviously, more films will be added, and in greater batches, over the next several months. Distributors are the ultimate decision makers on when a movie is placed on the Academy Screening Room for viewing.
Nine notable titles are among the films, including Ben Affleck’s “Air” from Amazon Studios, Michael B. Jordan’s “Creed III” from MGM, Kelly Fremon Craig’s “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” and Chad Stahelski’s “John Wick: Chapter 4,” both from Lionsgate.
The Academy performs a heavy vetting process for each film that chooses to submit for consideration. In 2022, nine movies were among the first added to the members’ portal while in 2020, eight films kicked off that season. Historically, over 300 movies are in the running for best picture consideration. Obviously, more films will be added, and in greater batches, over the next several months. Distributors are the ultimate decision makers on when a movie is placed on the Academy Screening Room for viewing.
- 8/18/2023
- by Clayton Davis
- Variety Film + TV
France has named a heavyweight Oscar selection committee to decide its submission in the international feature film category at the 2024 Academy Awards.
France’s Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak has appointed a seven-person committee proposed by Dominique Boutonnat, president of French film board Cnc. They include composer Alexandre Desplat, whose 11 Oscar nominations have led to two wins for “The Shape of Water” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel”; former Lionsgate executive and producer Patrick Wachsberger, Oscar winner for “Coda”; and two-time Cesar winning producer Charles Gillibert.
The committee also includes Olivier Assayas, Cannes best director winner for “Personal Shopper”; Mounia Meddour, Cesar winner for “Papicha”; Sabine Chemaly, executive VP, international distribution, TF1 Studio; and Tanja Meissner, former head of international sales at Memento Films International.
Members of the committee will will meet twice, in the presence of Boutonnat and Gilles Pélisson president of film promotion body Unifrance, both of whom...
France’s Minister of Culture Rima Abdul Malak has appointed a seven-person committee proposed by Dominique Boutonnat, president of French film board Cnc. They include composer Alexandre Desplat, whose 11 Oscar nominations have led to two wins for “The Shape of Water” and “The Grand Budapest Hotel”; former Lionsgate executive and producer Patrick Wachsberger, Oscar winner for “Coda”; and two-time Cesar winning producer Charles Gillibert.
The committee also includes Olivier Assayas, Cannes best director winner for “Personal Shopper”; Mounia Meddour, Cesar winner for “Papicha”; Sabine Chemaly, executive VP, international distribution, TF1 Studio; and Tanja Meissner, former head of international sales at Memento Films International.
Members of the committee will will meet twice, in the presence of Boutonnat and Gilles Pélisson president of film promotion body Unifrance, both of whom...
- 8/11/2023
- by Naman Ramachandran
- Variety Film + TV
The French culture ministry on Friday unveiled the new committee that will pick the French movies to enter the Oscar race in the best international film category.
The group, which French culture minister Rima Abdul Malak announced, includes the Oscar-winning producer, and ex-Lionsgate top executive and Summit boss Patrick Wachsberger (Coda), two-time Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat (The Shape of Water) and directors Olivier Assayas (Personal Shopper) and Mounia Meddour (Papicha). From the film industry side, Tanja Meissner, head of sales and acquisitions at Memento Films International, and Europa International’s Sabine Chemaly will also get a vote on the French films that are submitted to the U.S. Academy.
France has overhauled its nomination process after an exceptionally long Oscar drought for Le Grand Nation. Of the last 10 French international Oscar submissions, only four made the final shortlist, and just two — Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang in 2015 and Ladj...
The group, which French culture minister Rima Abdul Malak announced, includes the Oscar-winning producer, and ex-Lionsgate top executive and Summit boss Patrick Wachsberger (Coda), two-time Oscar-winning composer Alexandre Desplat (The Shape of Water) and directors Olivier Assayas (Personal Shopper) and Mounia Meddour (Papicha). From the film industry side, Tanja Meissner, head of sales and acquisitions at Memento Films International, and Europa International’s Sabine Chemaly will also get a vote on the French films that are submitted to the U.S. Academy.
France has overhauled its nomination process after an exceptionally long Oscar drought for Le Grand Nation. Of the last 10 French international Oscar submissions, only four made the final shortlist, and just two — Deniz Gamze Ergüven’s Mustang in 2015 and Ladj...
- 8/11/2023
- by Scott Roxborough
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
An edgy new voice within the world of French genre, Adrien Beau worked as a designer and scenographer for the likes of Dior, John Galliano and Agnes B before making his feature debut with the offbeat vampire movie “Vourdalak.”
Produced by Judith-Lou Levy at Les Films du Bal, “Vourdalak” will world premiere at Venice Critics’ Week and will likely be one of its boldest entries. At a time when horror has become a mainstream genre overloaded with special effects, “Vourdalak” couldn’t be more radical. Lensed in Super 16, the film’s central character is a vampire patriarch named Gorcha, played by a marionette that Beau operates and lends his voice to.
In an interview with Variety ahead of the festival, Beau says he got the idea for the film after he and Levy came across “La Famille du Vourdalak,” a strange vampire novella penned by Alexeï Konstantinovitch Tolstoï, published in...
Produced by Judith-Lou Levy at Les Films du Bal, “Vourdalak” will world premiere at Venice Critics’ Week and will likely be one of its boldest entries. At a time when horror has become a mainstream genre overloaded with special effects, “Vourdalak” couldn’t be more radical. Lensed in Super 16, the film’s central character is a vampire patriarch named Gorcha, played by a marionette that Beau operates and lends his voice to.
In an interview with Variety ahead of the festival, Beau says he got the idea for the film after he and Levy came across “La Famille du Vourdalak,” a strange vampire novella penned by Alexeï Konstantinovitch Tolstoï, published in...
- 7/28/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
On the face of it, Grégoire is the kind of husband that makes many a woman wish hers would shape up a bit. He’s tall, strong and stylish, with a job in banking that comfortably pays the bills, and the sculpted good looks of, well, the actor Melvil Poupaud — who plays him with enough upfront charm to cover a slight chill at the edges. All that, and he dotes on his wife Blanche (Virginie Efira), insisting on a degree of togetherness that makes clear his fidelity. Those observing more closely, however, may have other concerns: Why is he constantly calling her at work? Why does she never go out with friends? That he’s a psychotic abuser isn’t played as a surprise twist in Valérie Donzelli’s nervy, finely acted domestic thriller “Just the Two of Us” — even as it dabbles in genre tropes, the film presents an all-too-unremarkable reality for many women.
- 6/29/2023
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
Samuel Goldwyn Films announced today that the company has acquired U.S. rights to the “The Three Musketeers,” a two-part adaptation of the swashbuckling French adventure story by Alexandre Dumas.
The two films were shot back-to-back, with the first film “The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan” released in France this past April, earning $35 million at the international box office. The sequel “The Three Musketeers: Milady” will open in the country on Dec. 13.
The period epic boasts a top-shelf ensemble of European stars such as Francois Civil (“Call My Agent!”), Vincent Cassel (“Black Swan”), Romain Duris (“Eiffel”), Pio Marmaï ((“Happening”), Eva Green (“Casino Royale”), Vicky Krieps (“Phantom Thread”) and Louis Garrel (“The Dreamers”). Both films were directed by Martin Bourboulon, with screenplay by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière.
The two films are produced by Dimitri Rassam for Chapter 2, a Mediawan Company, and Pathé with M6 Films, Constantin Film, and DeAPlaneta coproducing.
The two films were shot back-to-back, with the first film “The Three Musketeers: D’Artagnan” released in France this past April, earning $35 million at the international box office. The sequel “The Three Musketeers: Milady” will open in the country on Dec. 13.
The period epic boasts a top-shelf ensemble of European stars such as Francois Civil (“Call My Agent!”), Vincent Cassel (“Black Swan”), Romain Duris (“Eiffel”), Pio Marmaï ((“Happening”), Eva Green (“Casino Royale”), Vicky Krieps (“Phantom Thread”) and Louis Garrel (“The Dreamers”). Both films were directed by Martin Bourboulon, with screenplay by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière.
The two films are produced by Dimitri Rassam for Chapter 2, a Mediawan Company, and Pathé with M6 Films, Constantin Film, and DeAPlaneta coproducing.
- 6/15/2023
- by Brent Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Exclusive: Longtime IFC Films and Cinetic Media PR colleagues Laura Sok and Kate McEdwards are launching new PR and strategy firm, Track Shot.
Track Shot will be based in New York City and work across independent, foreign and genre films as well as distribution strategy. The duo brings more than two decades in the publicity and communications field as well as a deep knowledge of the distribution landscape. Sok and McEdwards have built and led hundreds of film campaigns during their careers working in-house and alongside major distributors on the agency side. Previously, they led PR efforts for IFC Films, IFC Midnight, Sundance Selects, IFC Films Unlimited (streaming service) and most recently Shudder and Rlje.
Their final campaign for IFC Films was Matt Johnson’s chart-topping BlackBerry. This year they also launched Kyle Edward Ball’s breakthrough feature Skinamarink for Shudder/IFC Films.
Among their many successful campaigns at IFC...
Track Shot will be based in New York City and work across independent, foreign and genre films as well as distribution strategy. The duo brings more than two decades in the publicity and communications field as well as a deep knowledge of the distribution landscape. Sok and McEdwards have built and led hundreds of film campaigns during their careers working in-house and alongside major distributors on the agency side. Previously, they led PR efforts for IFC Films, IFC Midnight, Sundance Selects, IFC Films Unlimited (streaming service) and most recently Shudder and Rlje.
Their final campaign for IFC Films was Matt Johnson’s chart-topping BlackBerry. This year they also launched Kyle Edward Ball’s breakthrough feature Skinamarink for Shudder/IFC Films.
Among their many successful campaigns at IFC...
- 6/13/2023
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
In an open letter in support of the actress Amber Heard, Nobel Prize-winning author Annie Ernaux denounces “the vilification” and “ongoing online harassment” of the actress.
Read More: Amber Heard Supported By Over 130 Women In Open Letter From Feminist Groups
Actress-director Assa Maga, actresses Ariane Labed, Zita Hanrot, screenwriter Caroline Deruas Peano, and cinematographer Balthazar Lab were also signatories.
They are the most recent signatories to the ostensibly “An Open Letter In Support of Amber Heard,” which was started by American organisations working for gender justice like Women’s March Action, Refuge, and Esperanza United.
After Heard lost the defamation litigation in Virginia that Depp had started and won in response to her 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she called herself a “public figure representing domestic abuse,” they published the letter in November 2022.
“Much of this harassment was fueled by disinformation, misogyny, biphobia, and a monetized social media environment where...
Read More: Amber Heard Supported By Over 130 Women In Open Letter From Feminist Groups
Actress-director Assa Maga, actresses Ariane Labed, Zita Hanrot, screenwriter Caroline Deruas Peano, and cinematographer Balthazar Lab were also signatories.
They are the most recent signatories to the ostensibly “An Open Letter In Support of Amber Heard,” which was started by American organisations working for gender justice like Women’s March Action, Refuge, and Esperanza United.
After Heard lost the defamation litigation in Virginia that Depp had started and won in response to her 2018 Washington Post op-ed in which she called herself a “public figure representing domestic abuse,” they published the letter in November 2022.
“Much of this harassment was fueled by disinformation, misogyny, biphobia, and a monetized social media environment where...
- 6/5/2023
- by Aashna Shah
- ET Canada
Nobel Prize-winning writer Annie Ernaux has signed an open letter in support of Amber Heard, decrying “the vilification” and “ongoing online harassment” of the actress.
Ernaux won the Nobel Prize in Literature in October 2022 for her work charting the lives of women in France from the 1960s onwards, including abortion drama Happening, which formed the basis for Audrey Diwan’s 2021 Venice Golden Lion winner of the same name.
She is among a group of 68 French feminists and cultural figures to have signed the online letter in an initiative coinciding with the first anniversary of the actress’s defeat last June in a highly-mediatized defamation trial brought by ex-husband Johnny Depp.
Further signatories included actresses Ariane Labed and Zita Hanrot as well as actress-director Aïssa Maïga, screenwriter Caroline Deruas Peano (The...
Ernaux won the Nobel Prize in Literature in October 2022 for her work charting the lives of women in France from the 1960s onwards, including abortion drama Happening, which formed the basis for Audrey Diwan’s 2021 Venice Golden Lion winner of the same name.
She is among a group of 68 French feminists and cultural figures to have signed the online letter in an initiative coinciding with the first anniversary of the actress’s defeat last June in a highly-mediatized defamation trial brought by ex-husband Johnny Depp.
Further signatories included actresses Ariane Labed and Zita Hanrot as well as actress-director Aïssa Maïga, screenwriter Caroline Deruas Peano (The...
- 6/5/2023
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
“Tiger Stripes,” the debut feature of Malaysian director Amanda Nell Eu, won the Grand Prize at Cannes’ Critics’ Week, the Cannes sidebar dedicated to first or second films. The prize was awarded by a jury presided over by Audrey Diwan, the Venice prizewinning director of “Happening.”
The French Touch Jury Award went to Belgian director Paloma Sermon-Daï’s “It’s Raining in the House,” a film about adolescence, while the Revelation prize from the Louis Roederer Foundation was handed out to Jovan Ginic, the actor of Vladimir Perisic’s “Lost Country.” The Sacd prize, meanwhile, went to “The Rapture” by Iris Kaltenbäck.
“Tiger Stripes” tells the story of Zaffan, a 12 year-old girl who discovers a terrifying secret about her body. Ostracized by her community, Zaffan fights back, learning that in order to be free she must embrace the body she feared, emerging as a proud, strong woman.
The film stars Zafreen Zairizal,...
The French Touch Jury Award went to Belgian director Paloma Sermon-Daï’s “It’s Raining in the House,” a film about adolescence, while the Revelation prize from the Louis Roederer Foundation was handed out to Jovan Ginic, the actor of Vladimir Perisic’s “Lost Country.” The Sacd prize, meanwhile, went to “The Rapture” by Iris Kaltenbäck.
“Tiger Stripes” tells the story of Zaffan, a 12 year-old girl who discovers a terrifying secret about her body. Ostracized by her community, Zaffan fights back, learning that in order to be free she must embrace the body she feared, emerging as a proud, strong woman.
The film stars Zafreen Zairizal,...
- 5/24/2023
- by Elsa Keslassy
- Variety Film + TV
Natacha Kaganski has joined Luxbox as festivals and acquisitions manager and Solène Colomer has been named sales & marketing coordinator.
Previously, Kaganski spent four years as acquisitions manager at Wild Bunch, where she handled deals for the French and international market as well as coordination for multi-territories deals with the Wild Bunch group, such as Germany, Spain and Italy.
She was involved in films likeVenice winner “Happening” by Audrey Diwan, Gaspar Noé’s “Vortex” or “Leila’s Brothers,” also taking part in first Wild Bunch productions.
Solène Colomer has one year of experience assisting the sales and production teams at Urban Group under her belt. She was involved in “Plan 75” by Chie Hayakawa and “If Only I Could Hibernate” by Zoljargal Purevdash which, as reported by Variety, has already made history in Cannes.
They complete the already existing team with president Fiorella Moretti and Jennyfer Gautier, head of international sales.
“Personally,...
Previously, Kaganski spent four years as acquisitions manager at Wild Bunch, where she handled deals for the French and international market as well as coordination for multi-territories deals with the Wild Bunch group, such as Germany, Spain and Italy.
She was involved in films likeVenice winner “Happening” by Audrey Diwan, Gaspar Noé’s “Vortex” or “Leila’s Brothers,” also taking part in first Wild Bunch productions.
Solène Colomer has one year of experience assisting the sales and production teams at Urban Group under her belt. She was involved in “Plan 75” by Chie Hayakawa and “If Only I Could Hibernate” by Zoljargal Purevdash which, as reported by Variety, has already made history in Cannes.
They complete the already existing team with president Fiorella Moretti and Jennyfer Gautier, head of international sales.
“Personally,...
- 5/24/2023
- by Marta Balaga
- Variety Film + TV
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