27/03/2003 - 17th century costume drama set in the reign of the Sun King, starring Penelope Cruz and Vincent Perez and directed by Gérard Krawczyk, will inaugurate proceedings on the Croisette on 14 May.

Penelope Cruz and Vincent Perez will open the 56th edition of the Cannes Film Festival, scheduled to unroll from 14-25 May 2003. The organisers announced that the inaugural film is Fanfan la Tulipe [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Gérard Krawczyk, the director of Taxi 2 and Wasabi. The film is screening out of competition.
Produced by EuropaCOrp and co-produced by Open Art Production and TF1 Films Production, Fanfan la Tulipe is a remake of the classic starring Gérard Philippe and Gina Lollobrigida and directed by Christian-Jaque, who won the best director award in Cannes in 1952.
Set in the 17th century during the reign of the Sun King, Louis 14th, the new swashbuckling adventure was written by Luce Besson and Jean Cosmos after René Fallet and René Wheeler’s original. The film also stars Didier Bourdon as Louis XIV and Hélène de Fougerolles as Madame Pompadour.
Fanfan la Tulipe was originally scheduled for a domestic release on 9 April, but as a result of Gilles Jacob and Thierry Frémaux’s selection, the date was changed to 14 May.

(Translated from French)