16/09/2008

Unveiled in February at the Berlinale film market by its international seller Films Distribution, The Horde by Yannick Dahan and Benjamin Rocher will start shooting next week.

The latest in a line of French films combining fantasy and horror (such as Alexandre Aja’s Switchblade Romance, Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs [+see also:
film review
trailer
film profile], Them [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by David Moreau and Xavier Palud, Inside by Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo and Xavier Gens’ Frontier(s) [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) spearheaded by Canal +, the feature calls on the expertise of several specialists in the genre, many of whom work on the monthly magazine Mad Movies.

The cast includes Jean-Pierre Martins (La Vie en Rose [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), Aurélien Recoing (13 Tzameti [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Fanny Saadi
interview: Gela Babluani
film profile]), Claude Perron (Cortex [+see also:
trailer
film profile]), Alain Figlarz (Crime Insiders [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) and Eriq Ebouaney (seen recently at Venice in Claire Denis’ 35 Shots of Rum [+see also:
trailer
film profile]).

Co-written by Dahan, Rocher, Arnaud Bordas and Stéphane Moissakis, with assistance from Nicolas Peufaillit (screenwriter on Chrysalis [+see also:
trailer
film profile] and Enfants de Timpelbach, which will hit screens on December 17), The Horde is presented as a combination of the series The Shield, Zack Snyder’s Dawn of the Dead and Rec [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Jaume Balagueró, Paco Plaza
interview: Julio Fernández
film profile] (555,000 admissions in France) by Spain’s Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza.

The feature is set in Northern Paris, where four corrupt policemen – who want to avenge the death of one of their colleagues – raid an abandoned tower block in which a group of gangsters are hiding. But a horde of bloodthirsty zombies suddenly appear and the policemen and criminals have to unite against them in order to survive.

Produced by Capture the Flag Films and Empreinte Digitale Prod., The Horde has been pre-bought by Canal + and Ciné Cinéma. Xavier Gens (director of Hitman [+see also:
trailer
film profile]) is acting as executive producer.

Shooting is scheduled to last seven weeks in the Paris area. Domestic distribution will be handled by Le Pacte.

(Translated from French)