24/06/2003 - One of French criminal literature's favourite characters comes to the screen in a directorial debut enhanced by a galaxy of Gallic talent

A feature film about the pugnacious police investigator created by French novelist Frédéric Dard called San Antonio went into production on 23 June, starring Gérard Lanvin and Gérard Depardieu in their first film together since Alain Corneau’s 1981’s Le Choix des armes.
Co- produced Pathé Renn Productions and Claude Berri’s Hirsh slate, San Antonio was announced at the last edition of Cannes although the original cast was somewhat modified with Gérard Lanvin playing the Inspector instead of Depardieu, who will be his faithful sidekick, Bérurier instead. They will be supported by Jérémie Rènier (La promesse, Le Pornograph) and Robert Hossein who replaces Jean Yanne who died on 23 May. With a cast and production support of this calibre, San Antonio, the directorial feature debut of Laurent Touil-Tartour, is likely to be a huge success. Just as well, since San Antonio is one of French fiction’s most popular characters: featuring in 190 novels by Frédéric Dard. San Antonio will hit French screens in February 2004

Pathé Renn and Hirsh first worked together on Une Femme de Ménage in 2002 and their latest coproduction, Le bison by Isabelle Nancy, was released in France on 4 June, and reported ticket sales of 302,000 over a two-week period.

(Translated from French)