16/03/2010

Shooting starts this Thursday in London on Julie Gavras’s second feature: Late Bloomers.

For this English-language French/UK/Belgian co-production, the director of acclaimed film Blame It On Fidel [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile] (in competition at Sundance in 2007) has put together an impressive star cast, including US actor William Hurt and Italian actress Isabella Rossellini. This romantic comedy, which centres on the difficulties of a couple growing old together, also features Joanna Bobin and Doreen Mantle.

Co-written by the director and Olivier Dazat, the film, like all romantic comedies, revolves around a man and woman who love each other but are complete opposites. So, despite their strong feelings, Adam and Mary split up in order to rediscover each other.

But our protagonists are not the usual 20 or 30-year-olds, but 60-somethings. These lively 60-odd-year-olds brilliantly juggle children, grandchildren, work and friends with their attendant worries and joys. Until the day when Mary and Adam realise they belong to the elderly age group, to their great surprise…

Produced by Sylvie Pialat for Les Films du Worso, Late Bloomers is co-produced by UK company The Bureau, Belgium’s BE Films and Gaumont (who have bought all the rights). The film has also been pre-bought by Canal + and Ciné Cinéma.

The film, whose shoot will wrap on April 28, is scheduled for release in French theatres in the first quarter of 2011.

Also produced by Les Films du Worso, Sphinx (see news) will be launched in theatres by Gaumont on April 7. Pialat’s company also has on its slate Helène Angel’s La Revenante (“The Ghost”), starring Charles Berling and Guillaume Nicloux’s Holiday (see news), both in post-production; and Lodge Kerrigan’s Rebecca H., which is in the final stages of shooting.

(Translated from French)