21/04/2008

While shooting is underway in Brazil on Michel Hazanavicius’ OSS 117, Rio ne répond plus (“OSS 117: No Response from Rio”, starring Jean Dujardin), Mandarin Cinéma (headed by Eric and Nicolas Altmayer) have just unveiled the impressive cast for Hors-la-loi (“Outlaw”). Directed by and starring Gilles Lellouche, the film’s cast will also include Guillaume Canet, Benoît Magimel and Charlotte Gainsbourg.

After the success of 0SS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies (2.3m admissions in 2006), secret agent Hubert Bonnisseur de la Bath (the hero of Jean Bruce’s novels) returns in OSS 117, Rio ne répond plus.

Co-written by the director and Jean-François Halin, the film follows a spy (Dujardin) who is trying to track down a former Nazi (Rüdiger Vogler) in Rio in 1967 to buy from him a microfilm listing the names of French people who collaborated with the Germans during the Second World War. The cast also includes Louise Monot (as a Mossad spy), Alex Lutz and Michel Aumont.

With a budget of around €22m, the film is co-produced by Gaumont, who will handle international sales and the title’s domestic release, set for April 15 2009.

Adventure-western film Hors-la-loi will be the second feature by director-actor Lellouche, after Narco (co-directed by Tristan Aurouet in 2004). The film is set in Mexico in the period between 1861 and 1867.

Written by Éric Besnard (Babylon A.D., The New Protocol), the film follows a soldier (Magimel), a gold digger (Lellouche), a card player (Canet) and Gainsbourg in a mysterious role, as someone caught up in the historical turmoil.

During that period, French Emperor Napoleon III tried to forcefully impose Austrian Archduke Maximilian of Habsburg as ruler of Mexico. The military expedition failed in the end, due to opposition from local guerrilla fighters. The dates of the film shoot have yet to be announced.

Mandarin Cinéma’s titles in post-production include Michel Houellebecq’s Possibility of an Island (see news) and Rémi Bezançon’s Le Premier jour du reste de ta vie (“The First Day of the Rest of Your Life”), a film starring Jacques Gamblin and Zabou Breitman, set to be released on August 6.

Syndrôme du Titanic (“Titanic Syndrome”) is currently in production. This documentary, co-directed by Jean-Albert Lièvre and prominent ecological campaigner Nicolas Hulot, is co-produced by Studio 37 and TF1 Films. Roissy Films are handling international sales.

(Translated from French)