EXCLUSIVE: Oscar nominee Chloë Sevigny (Boys Don’t Cry), European Film Awards best actor winner Claes Bang (The Square), Sundance 2022 breakout Lily McInerny (Palm Trees and Power Lines) and French actress Nailia Harzoune (Gone For Good) are leading an English-language contemporary adaptation of French writer Françoise Sagan’s classic novel Bonjour Tristesse.
London and Paris-based outfit Film Constellation is launching sales in Cannes on the project written and to be directed by newcomer Durga Chew-Bose. UTA Independent Film Group is repping domestic sales alongside Film Constellation and Elevation Pictures.
Related Story
'The Boogeyman: The Origin Of The Myth:' Prime Video Among Buyers To Swoop On Spanish Horror Pic — Cannes Market
The story follows Cécile (McInerny), a young woman spending the summer in a villa in the south of France with her widowed father Raymond (Bang) and his latest love interest, Elsa (Harzoune). Theirs is a lived-in compatibility—a world of ease and languor. But all that soon changes with the arrival of Anne (Sevigny), an old friend of Raymond and Cécile’s mother. Anne’s presence and deep connection to the past alters the villa’s mood. While her way of life appears mismatched with theirs, an attraction—years in the making—forms. Desperate to regain control, Cécile sets in motion a plan to drive Anne away with tragic consequences.
Principal photography got underway last Friday in Cassis in the south of France. Sagan’s son, Denis Westhoff, is among exec producers.
McInerny stars in the lead following her critically-acclaimed performance in the Sundance and Deauville Film Festival winner Palm Trees and Power Lines, which was also nominated for four 2023 Film Independent Spirit Awards, including Best Breakthrough Performance.
The film is produced by Babe Nation Films’ Katie Bird Nolan and Lindsay Tapscott (Alice, Darling), Elevation Pictures’ Noah Segal and Christina Piovesan (Infinity Pool), Wolfgang Mueller and Benito Mueller of Barry Films (Life)and Cinenovo’s Julie Viez (Harka).
Executive producers are Fabien Westerhoff for Constellation Productions, Suzanne Court, and Westhoff.
Published in 1954 when Françoise Sagan was only 18 years-old, Bonjour Tristesse shocked critics for its frank account of young female sexuality but ultimately had resounding success with over two million copies sold, one of the biggest bestsellers in the history of French publishing, catapulting Sagan into modern literary stardom. A classic in feminist literature, it is translated into 22 languages and was included in Le Monde’s 100 Books of the Century.
Montreal-based writer Chew-Bose has had writing appear in publications including The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Artforum and Harper’s Bazaar. Her collection of essays, Too Much and Not the Mood, was published in 2017 by Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
She said: “I feel very fortunate to be adapting Sagan’s beloved story with a group of passionate, perceptive artists and to be building this world with the support of a team who too are emboldened by the kind of magic that comes with uncertainty and trusting one’s intuition. I’ve always loved summer movies—their consideration of darkness, or women seeking shade, or women in hats, and how necessary it becomes to stay cool (even with one’s feelings)…all of that is the stuff of movies. After all, the best place to be on a hot summer day is at the movies.”
Producer Babe Nation added: “After many years of chasing this iconic IP and developing the script with Durga, we are elated to finally be realizing this project with her at the helm as director. She is a talent we believe in fiercely and we are extremely proud to be bringing a contemporary perspective to Françoise’s most famous novel.”
Film Constellation’s Cannes slate also includes Isabel Coixet’s romance drama Un Amor starring Laia Costa; period satire Coup! starring Peter Sarsgaard; romantic thriller Haunted Heart by Fernando Trueba and starring Matt Dillon; and romantic sci-fi dramedy Turn Me On starring Bel Powley and Nick Robinson.
Must Read Stories
Opening-Night Red Carpet For Johnny Depp, Maïwenn, Michael Douglas & More
Brie Larson Talks Johnny Depp Movie; Latest Market Deals; Party List; Photo Galleries
Picks Up Kaitlin Olson-Led ‘High Potential’ To Series, Renews ‘Conners’, ‘Not Dead Yet’ & More
‘Fast X’ To Run Circles Around World With Near-$300M Bow: Preview
Read More About:
Source: Read Full Article
