11/04/2006

After Locked Out [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Albert Dupontel, which got off to a good start in its first week of release, Eskwad, the production company run by Richard Grandpierre, continues its exploration of quite unusual genres in French cinema with the preparation of two other projects for 2006: science fiction Dante XXI by Marc Caro, which will begin shooting on May 11, and horror film Ils [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by David Moreau and Xavier Palud, to be released on screens on July 19.

Much awaited by cinephiles, Dante XXI by Caro, who co-directed Delicatessen and The City of Lost Children with Jean-Pierre Jeunet, features a cast that includes Lambert Wilson, Linh Dan Pham (2006 César for Best Female Supporting Role for The Beat My Heart Skipped [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and Dominique Pinon. Co-written by filmmaker and novelist Pierre Bordage (Les portes d'Occident, Les guerriers du silence), the film recounts the mishaps of six dangerous criminals locked in a prison on Dante, a hostile planet with a toxic atmosphere. As guinea pigs of strange experiences, the six try to escape under the direction of psychopath César, who battles for leadership with St Georges, an inmate gifted with mysterious powers.

This Eskwad production was co-produced by Wild Bunch – who also handles international sales – and has a budget of €8m, including financial backing of €429,000 from the Ile de France region. The nine-week shoot will take place in the Bry-sur-Marne studios and the film will be distributed in France by Pan Européenne.

An unexpected surprise on the market, Ils, the first feature from Moreau and Palud (see news), has already been sold by StudioCanal to the UK, Germany, Spain, Italy, Scandinavia, Benelux, Switzerland, Greece, Romania, territories in the former Yugoslavia, Russia, Japan, Korea, Thailand, Argentina, Canada, Turkey, Mexico and Brazil.

With a cast that includes Michael Cohen and Olivia Bonamy, the French/Romanian co-production (70% and 30%, respectively) has a budget of €1.8m and a pre-sales agreement with Canal+. The film will be distributed in France by Mars Distribution in mid summer, generally a good period for the release of horror films.

(Translated from French)