Yesterday saw the curtain fall on the 73rd Berlinale’s European Film Market, where French international sales agents were anything but idle, notably on account of the eight titles in competition they’re selling (read our special EFM report here). But there were also a few new works enriching their line-ups, too.

Pathé International kicked off presales on The Count of Monte-Cristo [+leggi anche:
trailer
scheda film] by Matthieu Delaporte and Alexandre de La Patellière, whose filming is due to commence in July, with Pierre Niney leading the cast. This new adaptation of Alexandre Dumas’ novel will be produced by Chapter 2 and Pathé (who are also managing distribution in France) in co-production with Fargo Films and M6 Films (who have also pre-purchased the movie alongside Canal+ and Ciné+).

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Tahar Rahim will play the lead role in the biopic Monsieur Aznavour by the directorial duo Grand Corps Malade - Mehdi Idir (Step By Step [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film], School Life [+leggi anche:
trailer
intervista: Zita Hanrot
scheda film]), a production steered by Kallouche Cinéma and Mandarin & Compagnie, which will start shooting in the summer.

There’s been a change in lead actor for the project Emmanuelle by Audrey Diwan (awarded Venice’s Golden Lion for Happening [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Anamaria Vartolomei
scheda film]), a new adaptation (co-written by the director alongside Rebecca Zlotowski) of Emmanuelle Arsan’s erotic novel, which is now set to be toplined by Noémie Merlant. Shooting will commence in September, with Chantelouve, Rectangle Productions and Wild Bunch International managing production.

Also worth a mention on the subject of Wild Bunch International is their kicking off presales on Madame Luna by Sweden’s Daniel Espinosa. Currently in post-production, the movie (involving Swedish firm Momento Film, Italian outfit Dugong Films and Luxembourg’s Hercules Film Fund) charts the road walked by a female Eritrean migrant who has since become a human trafficker in Libya, with close links to the Italian mafia, and who eventually ends up stepping through the looking glass…

Orange Studio has commenced presales on Planet B, which is the second movie by Aude Léa Rapin (revealed in Cannes’ Critics’ Week 2019 via Heroes Don’t Die [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Aude Léa Rapin
scheda film]). This Les Films du Bal production is due to be toplined by Adèle Exarchopoulos, among other names, who’ll be supported by Swiss actress Souheila Yacoub.

mk2 films has added two titles in post-production to its already copious line-up: the romantic comedy The Nature of Love [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Monia Chokri
scheda film] by Quebec’s Monia Chokri (who presented her debut feature film La femme de mon frère in Cannes’ Un Certain Regard section in 2019) and Holly [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Fien Troch
scheda film] by Fien Troch (awarded the Orizzonti Prize for Best Director in Venice 2016) whose production is overseen by French firm Agat Films in co-production with Belgium’s Prime Time, Mirage, Les Films du Fleuve and Tarantula, and Dutch outfit Topkapi.

Newen Connect have kicked off presales on the English language sci-fi film Another End [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Piero Messina
scheda film] by Italian director Piero Messina (who competed in Venice in 2015 via The Wait [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Piero Messina
scheda film]). Currently in post-production and steered by Roman firm Indigo Film, the movie is toplined by Mexico’s Gael García Bernal and Norway’s Renate Reinsve, who are notably joined by the French-Argentinian actress Bérénice Bejo.

Worth a final mention, amongst the various announcements punctuating the EFM, are two titles in post-production: Luxbox are commencing presales on Lazy Girls by Karim Dridi (Chouf [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
scheda film], Khamsa [+leggi anche:
trailer
scheda film]) and Best Friend Forever on Ramata-Toulaye Sy’s Banel & Adama [+leggi anche:
recensione
trailer
intervista: Ramata-Toulaye Sy
scheda film] (a French-Senegalese co-production involving La Chauve-Souris and Take Shelter).