Celluloïd to sell The Possibility of an Island
The Possibility of an Island, the debut feature by well-known writer Michel Houellebecq, adapted from his novel, has been added to the catalogue of French sales agent Celluloïd Dreams.
Produced by Eric and Nicolas Altmayer for Mandarin Films, the feature will shoot from mid-April to mid-June in southern Spain, on Lanzarote in the Canaries and in Alicante’s Ciudad de la Luz studios.
The film will star Benoît Magimel, who will be flanked by veteran Belgian actor Patrick Bauchau (Viviane Candas’ Suzanne [+see also:
trailer
film profile], Lars von Trier’s The Five Obstructions, Taylor Hackford’s Ray, David Fincher’s Panic Room).
The Possibility of an Island tells the story of Daniel, a successful comedian who meets a sect, the Elohimites, which promise immortality through cloning.
The story is told through the eyes of an unlikeable hero (Magimel) who becomes the leader of the sect and one of its two clones – Daniel 24 and 25, the products of genetic manipulation.
In this dark philosophical tale set between the present day and the year 4000, Daniel faces a life of loneliness following the calamities that have wrought havoc on the human race. But his life takes a turn for the better after mysterious messages from a computer reveal to him the existence of another survivor.
The lead female role has yet to be revealed.
The €6.37m film received €300,000 from ARTE France Cinéma (half in co-production, half in pre-sales), co-production funding from the Lagardère group and backing from Sofica ARTE/Cofinova.
Negotiations on The Possibility of an Island’s French distribution are still under discussion. Celluloïd Dreams will handle international sales.
Hengameh Panahi’s outfit has become a genuine expert in selling Houellebecq’s films. Last year, it successfully sold Oskar Roehler’s Atomised [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Franka Potente & Moritz Ble…
interview: Oskar Roehler
film profile] (see Focus), the second adaptation by the novelist after Philippe Harel’s Whatever (1999).
(Translated from French)
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