24/10/2006

"Octave, a money and woman magnet, is on top of the world. He works in the lucrative business of advertising copywriting: he decides today what you are going to see tomorrow. Until the day when the talented Octave rebels, no longer able to cope as an active member of a society that has only one goal: consuming more and more."

The pitch of the screen adaptation of Frédéric Beigbeder’s bestseller has come up trumps and the film, directed by Jan Kounen (Dobermann, Blueberry, Darshan), has already attracted much interest despite going into production only two weeks ago.

Another attraction is the main character, played by Jean Dujardin, a very popular actor in France (Brice de Nice, OSS 117), who will star alongside Vahina Giocante, Jocelyn Quivrin, Patrick Mille, François Levantal and Elisa Tovati.

With adaptation rights to 99 Francs (published in 2000 and 400,000 copies sold) acquired for €500,000 from Editions Grasset by Légendes Production, Bruno Lavaine and Nicolas Charlet of Canal + have written a script that depicts the behind-the-scenes of large Parisian advertising agencies in the 1990s where Octave, an old hand at the cynical practices of his job, tries everything to get fired.

Produced by Ilan Goldman for Légendes Production and Les Films 99 Francs, the feature received co-production and pre-sales financing from Arte France Cinéma. The 10-week shoot, which began on October 10, will take place in Paris and the Var region.

99 Francs is slated for release in the second half of 2007 through Pathé, who are also handling international sales.

(Translated from French)